As one Warriors player famously says, “Nothing easy!” The Warriors showed tremendous grit and grind and held off a late Pistons comeback to pick up a 102-98 win on Friday.
TEAM LEADERS
Playing at the end of their longest road trip of the season without two starters, including a two-time MVP, the Dubs overcame a tough shooting night from the perimeter and preserved their perfect 6-0 road trip with some timely defense. The Warriors tallied a season-high 15 blocks, which helped limit the Pistons to 41.3 percent shooting.
Although they let an eight-point advantage with 46 seconds left shrink to two in less than 30 seconds, the Dubs got the defensive stop when they needed it most. Following a pair of missed Shaun Livingston free throws, the Pistons had a chance to tie or take the lead with 17 seconds left. Reggie Jackson attempted to drive to the basket, but tough defense from Shaun Livingston and Klay Thompson forced an errant shot. Thompson secured the rebound, got fouled and made the ensuing free throws to secure the win and preserve the undefeated road trip.
KD TAKES CHARGE
For the second straight game, Kevin Durant took over on offense. He followed his 35-point triple-double on Wednesday with a 36-point effort that also included 10 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks. Durant was the team’s lone bright spot on offense in the first half, and then he really got it going in the third quarter with 13 points in the period. In the process, Durant (19,684 career points) passed former Warrior Bernard King (19,655) for 45th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
DRAYMOND’S HOMECOMING
For a player with only two points, Draymond Green sure had an impact on the game. Playing near his hometown of Saginaw, the Michigan State alum and reigning Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year tallied a career-high tying six blocks and tallied 13 assists.
ROAD WARRIORS
The Warriors are the 11th team in NBA history to complete a six-game road trip with an undefeated 6-0 record, and the first to do so since the 2008-09 Lakers. The Dubs have played more road games (16) this season than any other team in the league, going 13-3 in such contests. The schedule will soon even up, however, as the Dubs play nine of the next 10 games at Oracle Arena.
THIRD QUARTER RUN
It’s starting to become tradition, but the Warriors once again had a strong third quarter. After trailing by four-points at halftime, the Dubs took a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter by out-scoring Detroit 31-17 in the third period. Quinn Cook gave the Dubs that double-digit advantage – their first one of the game – when he knocked down a 3-pointer as time expired on the period.
KLAY GETS GOING
Warriors guard Klay Thompson overcame a slow start and scored 15 of his 21 points after halftime. He knocked down two more 3-pointers and has now made at least one trey in 81 straight games, the fourth longest streak in NBA history.
UP NEXT
Two weeks after their last home game, the Dubs will be back at Oracle Arena on Monday when they host the Portland Trail Blazers. This will be the first of this season’s three head-to-head meetings between the two teams, and the first since the Dubs swept the Blazers in the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs. Find Tickets