Steph Curry drops 37 points as the Warriors win in Brooklyn
One game isn’t enough to make definitive statements about the Brooklyn Nets. They might have the pieces to win it all, but they didn’t look like anything resembling championship material on Tuesday.
The Golden State Warriors, on the other hand, are turning back the clock with their style of play, most specifically their third-quarter runs.
Steph Curry ran circles around Brooklyn’s defense en route to a game-high 37 points. This outburst came despite foul trouble knocking him out early in the second half. It didn’t matter as the Nets were outscored by 17 points in the quarter, ultimately leading to a 117-99 loss.
Steve Kerr coached circles around Steve Nash, dialing up a mix of defensive coverages to take Kevin Durant out of his rhythm.
After dropping 16 points in the first two quarters, Durant was held without a field goal in the second half. It was a steady mix of defenders, changeups like a triangle-and-two, and flat-out misses from Durant that led to the second-half disappearing act.
James Harden ended up leading the Nets with 24 points on a vintage 10-for-11 performance from the free-throw line, but early on, it looked like Curry and Durant were going to trade buckets for four quarters.
Two of the greatest to ever do it. Need this NBA Finals ASAP pic.twitter.com/0m8PfWefRS
— Danny Small (@dwsmall8) November 17, 2021
That was not the case. In fact, the MVP chants were louder for Steph than KD in the Barclays Center. Ouch.
MVP chants for Steph Curry tonight are louder than the MVP chants for Kevin Durant.
— Kristian Winfield #NFTAllStar (@Krisplashed) November 17, 2021
Durant disappeared in the second half, but this game is not on him. Brooklyn’s depth was tested with Joe Harris out due to an ankle injury. It’s also worth noting that LaMarcus Aldridge didn’t enter the game until Curry left with four fouls.
It’s safe to assume that Nash was concerned with Aldridge’s ability to defend against the constant motion that is the Warriors’ offense. Curry doesn’t stop running — ever — and Jordan Poole is doing a nice job filling in for Klay Thompson as another splash bro.
Although Poole struggled from beyond the arc in this one, his consistent movement helps create those backdoor passes that get oohs and aahs from the crowd. Whether it’s Poole, Curry, or someone else, it’s a chore to keep track of all the cutting.
Brooklyn certainly couldn’t figure out how to contain this Golden State offense. Even when Curry was off the floor, it looked like the Warriors were operating at a different speed.
In fairness to the Nets, not many teams have been able to slow down Curry and his cohorts. The Warriors are 12-2 and have repositioned themselves as the team to beat in the Western Conference after two injury-plagued seasons.
James Wiseman and Klay Thompson are coming back too. This Warriors team is going to be scary. The first half looked like a potential NBA Finals matchup. Unfortunately for Nets fans, the second half was a much different story.
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