Warriors instant analysis: Steph Curry ties Michael Jordan’s record in win over Spurs
SAN ANTONIO –- A historic Steph Curry performance was just enough to lift the Warriors past San Antonio 109-108 at the Frost Bank Center on Friday.
Curry warmed up in Nike shoes – Kobe’s, to be exact – but changed back to Under Armour Curry’s once the game began, and then slipped into another UA blue pair once the game started. Regardless of what shoe Curry wore, he had Spurs defenders slipping and sliding in San Antonio.
The Warriors superstar scored 31 points in the second half and 49 overall for the game, tying him with the great Michael Jordan for the most 40-point games (44) after turning 30. It was Curry’s second consecutive 40-ball: he put in 46 in the Warriors’ victory over the Spurs on Wednesday.
Was Curry aware of it? You bet he was, as shown by him throwing up a “two-three” with his hands after burying his 40th point.
Sort of.
“I was very aware, but I did (the two-three) backwards, though,” Curry said with a laugh. “It’s pretty cool from an individual accomplishment perspective. Just to beable to get that type of company, and that longevity is something I pride myself on.”
Curry’s herculean effort helped the Warriors offset another great showing by the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama, whose 26-point, 12-rebound and three blocks weren’t quite enough for San Antonio to prevent a two-game Golden State sweep in three days.
Wembanyama’s third-quarter show of force — and drawing a foul on a rebound — led to Warriors coach Steve Kerr being given a technical.
According to Curry and other Warriors, seeing their coach T-ed up gave them a jolt of energy. Kerr had already been in uncharacteristically passionate form earlier in the day, when he shared a 90’s-era story from his coach Phil Jackson. Those Bulls, led by Jordan, were like a band, where each member played his role in the production.
On Friday night, there was no doubt who the front man was.
The Warriors and Spurs traded baskets in the game’s final two minutes, but the deciding plays came with 30 seconds left. Curry got a steal, threw a beautiful behind the back pass to Jimmy Butler, and then saw Butler get blocked by Wembanyama as the Spurs still led by one.
But with six seconds remaining, Curry drew the foul on a drive and engaged in his trademark theatrics.
A basketball player encouraging a crowd to make noise during an important moment has occurred since James Naismith nailed two peach baskets 10 feet above the ground.
But asking a vitriolic group of nearly 20,000 San Antonio Spurs supporters to crank up the volume before shooting a potential game-winning free throw with 6.4 seconds remaining?
A unique type of lunacy …. Unless you are Steph Curry. He calmly made the two made free throws look routine.
“The free throws at the end of the game, you have to find something to take the nerves out,” Curry said. “For me, that’s just embracing the moment, smiling, having a good time.”
Then Gary Payton II, who has filled in admirably during Jonathan Kuminga’s absence,
The Warriors needed every Curry point Friday, especially early. The non-Curry, Butler and Will Richard players were a combined 3 of 25 in the first half. Kerr did not sub out Curry in the third quarter like usual, instead allowing him to play until the fourth quarter began.
It ended up being the right call.
Golden State (8-6), winners of two in a row, will travel to New Orleans and face former Warrior Kevon Looney on Sunday in the fourth game of their six-game road trip.
Guarding Wembanyama
After having success – or as much as one team can have against a 7-foot-5 unicorn who can still put up 31 points and 15 rebounds on a slow night – against Wembanyama, the Warriors repeated their tried and true defensive formula.
Draymond Green, a foot shorter but built like a brick, was the primary defender. Other helpside defenders – Gary Payton, Brandin Podziemski, etc. – swarmed once he began his dribble.
It gave the Frenchman fits on Wednesday, goading him into eight turnovers as he dribbled into traffic.
Though Wembanyama kept the turnovers down, the Spurs did not as the Warriors swarmed all over the dark grey court. San Antonio had 14 turnovers in the first half alone that led to 17 Warriors points. That did not remain the status quo in the second half, though.
Wembanyama scored 10 in the third quarter, a stretch that included a spectacular self-alley-oop off the glass. The Spurs made a concerted effort to give him the ball in the paint, something he did only once in the first half.
He brought the arena to near-pandemonium after slamming an alley-oop on a baseline out of bounds play midway through the third quarter. Wembanyama and Green jawed back and forth at one another, and Warriors security had to race in from the other side of the court to help de-escalate the situation. Green was subbed out shortly thereafter.
But Green returned later in the game, and despite playing with five fouls, remained a thorn in Wembanyama’s side throughout.
Richard, Payton rock
Kerr promised drastic changes to the starting lineup and delivered by bringing Moses Moody and rookie Richard into the first five to join Curry, Green and Butler.
The new starting lineup might not be a passing fad if the two games in San Antonio are any indication. Moody has been arguably the team’s second-best shooter and has given the starting unit a much-needed shooting component, while Richard has wowed with his energy.
He reversed home a sweet layup around Wembanyama in the first quarter, and then nailed a triple over his outstretched hands in the second.
Richard finished the game with 10 points. Meanwhile, for the second consecutive game, Payton II played big minutes because of Jonathan Kuminga’s knee inury-related absence.
He was the one who contested De’Aaron Fox’s last-second shot.
“Draymond sniffed it out early, and we pre-switched between me and Moses, and it was up to me and Moses to handle the guard-to-guard action,” Payton II said. “We were just trying to make it tough for De’Aaron.”
Podziemski’s role
The Warriors closed the second quarter with the Moody-Curry-Podziemski-Butler-Green lineup that helped the team end last season 23-8. They were outscored 12-10, but the ball moved and the Spurs made a few tough looks.
Podziemski, who Kerr lauds for doing “all the little things” as a “connector” was exactly that. He scored 10, and also grabbed three rebounds and dished out three assists while setting the kinds of screens the coaches loved and defending Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox.
“These last two games, he’s been brilliant,” Kerr said. “He’s just a little bit like Draymond, in what he does doesn’t always end up reflected in the box score.”
