After an up-and-down first half, the Warriors settled down in the second and eventually finished off a 114-101 home win over the Nets on Tuesday night. Despite reeling off a 25-0 run in the first quarter, the Dubs actually trailed entering halftime, but utilized a strong finish to the third frame to claim the lead, which they never relinquished. Stephen Curry was tremendous, leading all scorers with 34 points, including 18 in that momentous third quarter. Kevin Durant added 19 points and six rebounds, while Draymond Green just missed a double-double with 16 points and nine assists. With the victory, Golden State improves to 50-14 on the season, clinching their fifth-straight 50-win campaign.
TEAM LEADERS
50 WINS
While it’s easy to take the Warriors’ success for granted, the fact is, a 50-win season is a significant accomplishment in itself. However, to do so five times in a row is an entirely different task.
Tuesday’s win gave the Warriors their fifth-straight 50-win season. Prior to this current stretch, Golden State had won 50 games in a season four times in their previous 67 campaigns. But it’s not just the win total that is impressive; it’s the speed with which it was achieved. By securing their 50th win in their 64th game of the season, the Warriors became the first team in NBA history to earn 50 wins in their first 65 games in four consecutive years.
GAME OF RUNS
Depending on when you tuned into the game, you may be entirely surprised by the final result.
While the Warriors came away with the win on Tuesday, there were times when that outcome was hard to imagine. Golden State stumbled out of the gates to fall behind 12-6 on DeMarre Carroll’s floater just under five minutes into the game before they began to turn things around. After Klay Thompson and Draymond Green scored consecutive baskets to pull the Warriors within two, Allen Crabbe knocked down two free throws, but those would be Brooklyn’s only points for the next several minutes. By the time Dante Cunningham provided the Nets’ next points, a tip-in with 35.3 seconds remaining in the opening quarter, Golden State had reeled off a 25-0 run to build a massive advantage.
However, the feisty Nets wouldn’t go away quietly. Cunningham’s tip-in began a 5-0 Brooklyn burst to close the first frame, and after Shaun Livingston opened the second quarter with a jumper, the Nets went on a 15-0 run of their own to get right back into things. They’d soon tie the score at 39-39, and would eventually take a 53-48 lead into halftime.
Once again, though, the Warriors’ opponent couldn’t keep up with them in the third quarter. JaVale McGee scored six points in the first two minutes of the second half to help put Golden State back in front, and after Brooklyn reclaimed a slight advantage late in the third quarter, Curry flipped a switch and took the game over. He knocked down back-to-back three-pointers in a span of 24 seconds, and accounted for nine of the Dubs’ final 11 points of the frame to retake a lead they would never relinquish. A 9-1 Golden State burst to begin the fourth and final quarter put an end to any hope Brooklyn had of a comeback.
ANOTHER CURRY FLURRY
Curry’s strong finish to the third quarter put the cherry on top of yet another sensational offensive performance. The two-time MVP was the Warriors’ most potent scorer from the start, notching 13 points in the opening frame on his way to 34 in the first three quarters, before sitting out the entirety of the fourth with Golden State holding a double-digit lead. Early in the game, he became the seventh player in Warriors history to make 5,000 career field goals, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry, Chris Mullin, Paul Arizin, Jeff Mullins & Nate Thurmond.
UP NEXT
Golden State’s brief two-game homestand concludes when the Warriors host the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night. FIND TICKETS