Return to form for the Warriors
After slow start, team looks more consistent to rout Dallas
OAKLAND » In recent days, Warriors coach Steve Kerr stressed the need to end their recent struggles by exerting more energy. On Thursday morning, Warriors general manager Bob Myers outlined the importance in the team reducing its technical fouls
“Hopefully they remember it for more than five minutes,” Myers said. “You never know. But seems like they were listening a little bit.”
The Warriors listened about turning around their play. They have not listened enough yet about changing their behavior.
The Warriors secured a 121-103 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday at Oracle Arena by overcoming some of problems that ailed them in previous games, including inconsistent play, turnovers and yielding double- digit runs.
After Myers expressed concern about the Warriors’ tendency to become demonstrative toward officials, Warriors forward Draymond Green collected his 14th techni-
cal of the season with 8:12 left in the second quarter. After Green did not get a call he wanted, Green dismissively waved his hand toward an official. Then a whistle blew. Green is two technicals away from serving a one-game suspension without pay.
“We all need to do a much better job of staying poised,” Kerr said. “I don’t like the look of the constant complaining, myself included.”
The Warriors (42-13) played at least poised enough to secure a win against the Mavericks (1738). After trailing by as many as 12 points, the Warriors put the game away late in the second half.
Warriors forward Kevin Durant nailed a 3-pointer at the top of the key before the third quarter ended for a 93-85 lead to cap off an 8-2 run. The Warriors then stretched the lead to 104-87 with 8:14 left in the fourth quarter, securing a 9-2 run that entailed Dallas missing its first four shots. The Warriors had plenty of balance from Durant (24 points), Stephen Curry (20), Klay Thompson (18), Green (12) and David West (10).
The Warriors did not always play as pretty. The Mavericks closed the first quarter with a 33-23 lead after going on a 14-2 run. By then, the Warriors already committed five turnovers before ultimately finishing with 20. Unlike in three of their previous four losses, the Warriors corrected their problems.
As for the Warriors’ problems with the officiating? That remains a different story.
“They’ve worked very hard as individuals to cul- tivate a reputation that I think is mostly appreciated out there,” Myers said. “Through their play, their character, their demeanor, the way that Steve coaches, the way they share.”
So, Myers said he told the Warriors, “‘ You need to work to protect that. Acknowledge it. That takes care to sustain that— keep that and don’t lose sight of that.’”
The Warriors lead the league in ejections (nine) and are third in technical fouls (47). The NBA also fined Green $50,000 for “directing inappropriate and offensive language toward a game official” during Tuesday’s loss to Oklahoma City. Green became upset with official Lauren Holtcamp after not calling a foul on Oklahoma City forward Jerami Grant elbowed Green in the mouth and caused him to bleed. On Thursday, Green said he would wear braces “for a couple of weeks” after receiving dental treatment on Wednesday.
“Draymond and I are actually more alike than you think,” Kerr said. “We both have the propensity to snap because we’re both incredibly competitive. We both lose it sometimes.”
After all, Green leads the NBA in technical fouls (14), while Kerr is tied for the fourth- most technical fouls (five) among the league’s coaches. Durant also ranks second in technicals (11) and leads the league in ejections (four), while Green has three.
Has that given the Warriors a bad reputation?
“We probably deserve one,” Kerr said. “We’ve got that going forus. If we have that reputation, then we’re earning it. The main thing is just getting back to how we know how to play.”
At least the Warriors took care of that on Monday by securing a win.
• Nothing changed for the Warriors after the NBA trade deadline. Everything changed for the Cavaliers, though.
Cleveland traded starting point guard Isaiah Thomas, forward Channing Frye and a protected 2018 first-round pick to the Los Angeles Lakers for guard Jordan Clarkson and forward Larry Nance Jr. In a three-way deal with the Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings, the Cavaliers acquired Rodney Hood (from Utah) and George Hill (from Sacramento), while dealing Iman Shumpert and a 2020 second-round pick (via the Miami Heat to Sacramento) and Jae Crowder and Derrick Rose (to Utah). The Cavaliers then dealt veteran guard Dwyane Wade to the Heat for a 2024 second-round pick.
“They made some good moves,” Green said. “… That’s a completely different team now than the team we’ve played the last three years.”
Still, one thing is the same.
“They’ve still got LeBron James,” Green said. “Everything else at that point is irrelevant.”