The Brooklyn Nets built up a double-digit halftime lead, only to see it evaporate after a sluggish third quarter.
- Brooklyn Nets (7-21), 101
- Golden State Warriors (26-4), 117
- NBA, Final, Box Score
- Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
Without Draymond Green, the Brooklyn Nets got off to a scorchingly hot start against the NBA’s best team. From the onset, both defenses were shaky, but both offenses played relatively well through the first quarter.
The second quarter, however, was a total shellacking by the Nets, who nearly doubled the Dubs’ scoring output, 31-16, by taking advantage of incredibly lax transition defense.
Once the third quarter started, the Warriors turned on their slumbering defense and forced the Nets into turnover after turnover and hung 39 points on them by the end of the period.
Golden State finished with five players in double-figures and was led by Kevin Durant‘s 26 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Klay Thompson added in 23, and Stephen Curry had 15 but combined to shoot 15-of-43 from the field.
After a 21-point first half, Brook Lopez had just seven points in the second, finishing with a total of 28. Four other Nets had at least ten points, but 26 turnovers erased any progress made on offense.