What worked late in rare road win
Golden State overcomes sloppy first half to earn first victory away from home since Jan. 30
Coach Steve Kerr couldn’t remember the last time the Warriors won a road game this season.
This reporter promptly reminded him Monday night it was Jan. 30.
“Thanks,” he replied. “That doesn’t make me feel any better.”
Warriors’ wins away from Chase Center have been few and far between this season, but Golden State took advantage of its best chance to get a victory on this five-game road trip.
Despite playing what Kerr thought was their worst game of the last four, the Warriors overcame a sloppy first half to put an end to their 11-game road losing streak with a 121-108 win over the West-worst Houston Rockets.
A fourth-quarter push with the team’s best defensive effort of the night put the Rockets away for good.
Kerr pointed to the three-man combo of Draymond Green, Anthony Lamb and Jonathan Kuminga as being the difference in the final quarter. They were switching and forcing the Rockets into tough shots. The tactic helped the Warriors push the pace and get stops while Stephen Curry cooked on the other end.
Green said the trio’s comparable sizes give them the physical tools to be able to guard multiple positions and be successful.
“We’re not 7-foot or anything, but we’re all about the same height, same weight, same size,” Green said. “Lamb, the spacing that he has, JK (is a) slasher and lob threat, I can play-make. I think it’s a good group, something we can build on both ends.”
Green would “definitely” like to see more of that combination of him, Lamb and Kuminga sharing the court, though that’s obviously Kerr’s call. In 102 minutes with the trio on the court this season, the Warriors have outscored opponents by 60 points.
“We’re very switchable,” Lamb said. “[Green is] calling us early making sure that I know what we’re doing. So as long as I talk to JK, I know that we can handle any of the actions and just really switch them out of what they want to get into.”
The Warriors outscored the Rockets 37-28 in the final frame and walked away with a needed win. The 108 points they surrendered were the fewest allowed on the road this season.
“It’s one of those feelings like this is what you’re supposed to do,” Curry said after the win that boosted the Warriors’ road record to 8-29. “We know we have to play better, no one’s really celebrating. It’s just a matter of learning lessons in winning hopefully and get ready for another big game Wednesday.”
The first half of Monday’s win over the Rockets was the epitome of the Warriors’ struggles with focus this season. Golden State turned the ball over 14 times — several of which were live-ball giveaways which led to fast-break opportunities and easy baskets for the springy Rockets.
Green didn’t mince his words when discussing the team’s first-half struggles.
“Our focus level was pathetic to start off the game,” Green said. “To come into a game like this, you know it’s a young, athletic team, they’re going to be in passing lanes and we were careless with the ball.”
That changed in the second half, with the Warriors committing only six the rest of the way.
Kerr has repeatedly stressed the need for the Warriors to lock in for longer stretches. They can survive lapses in play like they did Monday against an inexperienced team like the Rockets, who own the second-worst win percentage in the league. But playoff contenders like the Mavericks, whom the Warriors visit Wednesday, would make them pay the price for their lulls.