GOLDEN START TO PLAYOFFS
Thompson, Durant, Green, McGee have Oracle roaring as Warriors look like old selves in romp
After a regular season lacking in good health and consistent energy, the Warriors began the NBA playoffs by asserting their dominance over the San Antonio Spurs.
OAKLAND >> The shots sank into the net nearly anytime Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson released the ball. Draymond Green let out a roar after making countless defensive stops. And the Warriors relied on athletic center JaVale McGee as their trump card to spark both more offensive energy and defensive intensity.
After laboring with complacency and injuries during the regular season that ended with 10 losses in their past 17 games, the Warriors did not just flip a switch in a 113-92 Game 1 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday at Oracle Arena. They turned on the whole power grid. And, boy, did the Warriors shine brightly.
“We’re a championship ball club. We know what it takes this time of year in order to win,” Green said. “We want to get back to that regardless of what everyone is saying.”
So, the Warriors are without Stephen Curry for the first round with a Grade 2 sprained MCL tear in his left knee. So what?
The Warriors still have three other healthy All-Stars in Thompson (27 points), Durant (24) and Green (12 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds).
Thompson only needed a few seconds to hold the ball before making most of his points on catch-and-shoot opportunities. Durant blended a mix of efficiency (9 of 17) and passing (seven assists) along with eight rebounds. And Green covered 94 feet with his scoring, playmaking and defense. As for
San Antonio? The Spurs did not have enough depth with star Kawhi Leonard still sidelined with a quadriceps injury that has kept him out for all but nine games this season.
“It ultimately comes down to players competing and bringing the effort. They brought it tonight,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “It was a different level of play than what we’ve seen from the past month, which I expected.”
So, the Warriors do not have a definitive center to counter the Spurs’ size. So what?
Kerr chose McGee to start at center in Game 1, and Kerr said he “probably” will keep it that way. That’s because as the Spurs went small, McGee went big with 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting, four rebounds and lots of defensive hustle in 16 minutes. Though it might change for Kevon Looney to assume a secondary role over Jordan Bell while Zaza Pachulia has a healthy scratch, McGee stated his case for countering the Spurs’ size in LaMarcus Aldridge (14 points on 5-of-12 shooting).
“Just forcing them to shoot tough shots,” McGee said. “When you force them to take tough shots, we get the rebound. Then we get going on the offensive end on the fast break. Then we’re damn near impossible.”
So, the Warriors lacked enough defensive effort to close out the 2017-18 with a top-five ranking. So what?
The Warriors showed all the ingredients in Game 1 that they have wanted — and often lacked — all season. Green and Andre Iguodala, who started over Quinn Cook at point guard because of his experience and defensive credentials, set an example with their effort and attention to rotations. McGee (two blocks) and Green (one) disrupted opponents at the rim. And Looney frequently chased loose balls.
San Antonio also shot only 39.2 percent from the field. Once the Warriors held a 24-14 lead with 1:50 left in the first quarter, they maintained a double-digit lead for the rest of the game.
“I thought it was important for us to reestablish our defense,” Kerr said. “Win or lose, we had to bring the effort on the defensive end. That’s the only way you can have success in the playoffs. That is the reason we’re a championship team.”
Add it all up, and the Warriors have a commanding 1-0 series lead over San Antonio for the same reasons the Warriors swept the Spurs in the 2017 Western Conference finals. The Spurs did not have enough to counter the Warriors’ talent, depth and defensive presence. And unlike last year, the Warriors did not need to overcome a 25-point deficit in Game 1 following Leonard’s injury. His availability has been in doubt for a while now.
“We want to make a statement in Game 2, as well,” Thompson said. “We did not end the season on a high note. We kind of hobbled into the playoffs, but we know how talented we are and how good we are.
“We have been here before in the postseason and know what it takes to win.”
The Warriors mostly credited their defense. That explains why the Warriors stressed that concept when Curry missed 11 games in December with a sprained right ankle. The Warriors addressed the subject again as part of what Kerr called their “playoff preparation.”