In winning their ninth consecutive game, the Warriors displayed enough new assets to overcome a few lapses into bad old habits.
It required several attempts Thursday night, but when the Warriors finally came away with a 126-118 victory over the Washington Wizards there was nearly as much relief as there was discovery.
Here are some positives and negatives from the game:
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POSITIVES
The Boogie Effect
The Wizards had been playing well of late and it’s because they’re making a visible effort to defend. They did a splendid job of taking away a Warriors staple, the dispiriting 3-pointer. So what did the Warriors do? They consistently attacked the rim, scoring a season-high 70 points in the paint. DeMarcus Cousins was the hub, forcing his way to the rim for easy buckets or finding shooters and cutters. He was a problem and the Wizards had no solution.
The Warriors, for the first time under coach Steve Kerr, have the ability to punish defenses by “going big.”
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NEGATIVE
Losing sight of the finish
The Warriors were up 13 midway through the second quarter and four minutes later the lead was five. A 15-point third-quarter lead was down to eight in less than two minutes. A 12-point lead in the fourth shrank to three in two minutes. The Wizards kept fighting, even when the Warriors got complacent – or committed live-ball turnovers. Washington scored 15 points off 15 Warriors turnovers, including nine off seven in the fourth.
The Warriors have paid a steep price for blowing leads. They avoided that, but letting a wobbly opponent hang around is never a welcome sight.
POSITIVE
A double shot of brilliance
Consistency is part of what defines Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. But watching Curry score 38 points while making only two triples surely stunned the Wizards and reminded folks of his comprehensive scoring arsenal. Watching Kevin Durant, who scored 21 points, block three shots in the first quarter reminded folks that he’s one of the NBA’s low-key rim protectors.
The excellence of Curry and Durant can get overlooked because it’s, well, routine. Rarely is there a game in which both don’t have a profound effect.
[RELATED: Could Warriors starting five beat the Eastern Conference All-Stars?]
POSITIVE
Efficiency from the bench
Though largely responsible for allowing Washington to trim nine points off the deficit in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter, Warriors reserves recovered with key plays down the stretch. Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney and Alfonzo McKinnie combined to score 34 points (on 12-of-15 shooting), grab 22 rebounds, and record 11 assists and three steals.
Looney had 10 rebounds in 17 minutes. Iguodala had five dimes without a turnover. Livingston (five assists) and McKinnie (six rebounds) collaborated on a gorgeous play to give the Warriors an 11-point lead with 3:56 to play. All four reserves were valuable.