SAN FRANCISCO -- The Golden State Warriors are rolling.
Say what you want about their strength of schedule so far -- Andre Iguodala sure does -- but, there is no denying that this team has all the pieces to be lethal. Take their 127-113 win over the Atlanta Hawks as the most recent example.
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Monday's game at Chase Center showed two different versions of the Warriors: One where Steph Curry is the only one on, and another where everyone is on.
Last season showed that the Warriors can still win games with Curry carrying the load. But, the Warriors are currently sitting with a league-best 9-1 record -- and league-best in net rating, scoring, defense, assists and 3-pointers -- just because of Curry.
Their win against the Hawks (4-7) was a microcosm of everything that's working in Golden State.
Here are three takeaways from the game:
Curry get's a 50 burger
It looked like it was going to be Curry's night from the jump. And it was. A 50-point night, to be exact.
Curry scored the Warriors' first 10 points of the game in nearly 90 seconds. Just moments later, he had a steal, and rebound and put-back layup in one possession.
After not scoring more than 20 points in the past four games, Curry finished with 24 points in the first half alone, battling through an apparent shoulder injury in the first.
Up until the midway point of the second, Curry was the only one giving the Warriors anything on offense. And even after others got going, Curry kept building on his own personal performance.
His shooting was nothing short of ridiculous, going 9-for-19 from beyond the arc. But he also did so much more than just score. Curry also had 10 assists, seven rebounds, two steals and one block.
Second-quarter run changed the momentum
Golden State Warriors
So, up until the five-minute mark of the second quarter, no one else other than Curry was producing on offense. They weren't doing much on defense either.
But something changed down the stretch of the first half. It's tough to say that the Warriors' defense was reminiscent of what got them the top-rated defense in the league, but the offense finally woke up. That was enough to fuel Golden State.
The Warriors went from being outscored 21-8 in the second at the 5:44 mark, to trailing by just four at halftime. Then that momentum carried into the third quarter when the Warriors erupted.
The Warriors outscored the Hawks 41-20 in the third, and Golden State finally saw contributions from everyone. That continued throughout the remainder of the game.
This team follows the philosophy that good defense leads to strong offense. But on Monday, it was the other way around.
Jordan Poole on the attack
It feels like deja vu to write another takeaway about Poole playing with more aggression attacking the rim, but here we go.
As I said one whole day ago, Steve Kerr believes Poole is one of the Warriors' best at breaking down defenses on his way to the hoop, and against the Hawks, he showed exactly why his coach thinks that.
A quiet scoring night for himself heading into the third quarter, Poole finally erupted, and it was charged by his ability to attack off the dribble with his right hand. He finished the night with 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting.
At this point, it seems that this isn't just a tool Poole has in his arsenal, but one he knows he needs to use often and consistently. This, along with his shooting, is going to make him a lethal offensive threat.