Curry likes way team finished off opening series
With a big grin, Warriors guard Stephen Curry ran to the sideline, leaped and high-fived teammate Damion Lee. Such a celebration after a routine 3 - poi nt er mi g ht have seemed excessive, but this one was the culmination of weeks of work.
The basket came in the third quarter of a 116-106 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night.
Andrew Wiggins, anticipating that Curry would come curling along the arc, set a hard down-screen that freed Curry to receive the pass from Juan Toscano- Anderson and drill the wide- open shot.
These are the moments that indicate that Curry and his supporting cast are beginning to mesh and the Warriors (2-2) are better than they looked in their first two games. After losing to Brooklyn and Milwaukee by 65 points, they took care of business in Chicago ( 1- 3) and Detroit (0- 4).
Curry led the scoring with 31 points on 9- of17 shooting (5 of 9 from 3-point range) and six assists and got help from the two newcomers the Warriors are leaning on most heavily. Wiggins had 27 points, and Kelly Oubre Jr. — he made at 3-point shot after missing his first 17 — delivered 14 points, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
Here are five takeaways from the final game of the season- opening four-game trip before Friday’s home opener against the Trail Blazers.
WIGGINS TOOK OVER THE FOURTH QUARTER >> The turning point of the game started with Curry on the bench and Wiggins leading the second-unit offense at the start of the fourth quarter. James Wiseman’s kick out after an offensive rebound led to a step-back 3-pointer by Wiggins to tie the game at 89 with 7:41 left. That began a 20- 4 run, capped off by Curry’s 3-pointer when he re- entered the game with 4:17 remaining.
In all, Wiggins scored 17 of his 27 points in the final period using a variety of dribble moves, drives and pull-up jumpers. After struggling to start the season, Wiggins has put together two impressive games and looks more comfortable since head coach Steve Kerr simplified the offense.
“We’re getting better every game. We’re learning each other, knowing what each other likes,” Wiggins said. “The chemistry is building.”
Finally, the Warriors had moments of chemistry: Wiggins’ game- deciding outburst may have not been his most important moment in the game longterm. That was the down screen he set for Curry in the third quarter. DIGGING INTO THE DETAILS >> Oubre set a drag screen for Curry, initiating the starting action of Kerr’s stripped- down offense. Curry passed to Oubre on the left wing, who gave it up to Toscano-Anderson at the top of the key. Meanwhile, after he gave the ball up, Curry ran along the baseline seeking to relocate. Wiggins saw Curry and sprung into action, setting a down screen on Pistons guard Killian Hayes that set up the easiest shot of Curry’s season.
That one was the most improvised, but Curr y made three of his five 3-pointers after first giving up the ball.
“We obv iously have some of our pet plays, but it’s a process,” Curry said. “We’re all trying to understand where the spacing is and where the flow of our shots are coming from. Especially when I give it up and guys are still being able to be threats off the dribble but know that there’s action on the weak side.
“We’ll find a lot more of those, but I think our intentions and what we’re trying to do are starting to show every game.”
SECOND- CHANCE POINTS HURT >> Entering the night, Golden State ranked fourth in the league in box- outs per game, according to NBA. com’ s Advanced Stats. That execution on the boards did not travel with them to Detroit, as they allowed the Pistons to snag 16 offensive rebounds that led to 20 second- chance points.
“We got hurt by a lot of offensive rebounds, but we were getting stops,” Kerr said. “We were smarter, tougher, contesting more shots, didn’t give them a whole lot of easy stuff.” WISEMAN’S DEFENSE AND “GIANNIS PLAY” >> Wiseman had his best defensive game of the season and anchored a Golden State unit that held Detroit to 38% shooting.
Wiseman’s positioning on defense was much better, and after picking up a pair of early fouls biting on pump fakes, he was more disciplined as the game went on. Though he did end up fouling out with 2:53 to go, he was a big reason why the Warriors went from being tied at 85 when he checked in with 9:03 left in the fourth quarter to leading by 10 by the time he left the game.
“For the first time really in the four games it looked like he sort of knew what his job was,” Kerr said. “To protect the rim, not foul, use his size and his athleticism. And he made a couple of big plays where we got stops and scores at the other end.
“Of course, his Giannis play was pretty impressive.”
Yes, his Giannis play. At different junctures in his first three games, Wiseman flashed his shot-blocking, ball-handling and scoring skills. But in the fourth quarter, he put it all together for a jaw- dropping play that conjured thoughts of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. In all of seven seconds, Wiseman blocked a Mason Plumlee shot in the paint, corralled the loose ball, dribbled between two defenders at halfcourt and Euro-stepped into a right-handed dunk. WARRIORS PICK UP POOLE’S ROOKIE OPTION >> Poole, who has emerged as a regular part of the rotation this season, had his third-year rookie option picked up for next season. The move will keep Poole, 21, under contract for next season at $2.2 million. Through four games, he is averaging 6.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 15 minutes per game.