Either way, Golden State has some serious matchup problems and we haven’t even figured out who’s matching up with Pippen. The Lakers’ contested mid-range jumpers kept falling short.
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Given how Golden State is playing at the moment, it’s hard to make an argument that they won’t.
The outcome became inevitable well before it became official. For the first time ever, a team is 16-0 to start an National Basketball Association season, and that team is the Golden State Warriors.
Their 2-12 record is the worst in the Western Conference, and second worst in the entire league behind the hapless Philadelphia 76ers (0-15).
The Warriors certainly have made a believer out of Kobe Bryant, who after his latest very bad performance to start the season (he went 1-for-14 and scored just four points in 24 minutes) said Golden State could also match the mythic 33-game win streak record set by the 1971-72 Lakers. “They’re in the history books”.
The Warriors are much closer to a machine than a normal great team.
If only it were that simple as the Warriors exceeded the 17-point spread that oddsmakers predicted.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Lou Williams, left, shoots against Golden State Warriors guard Leandro Barbosa during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015. But it didn’t matter against the outmatched Lakers, who only got 4 points from Kobe Bryant as the veteran guard missed 13-of-14 shots from the field. He’s followed Green’s ascension into one of the NBA’s best all-around players, a path that started back in MI, where Green was leading Saginaw High School to back-to-back state championships. “It affected my shot”. The advantage extended to 41 in the fourth quarter. “You’re only a rookie once”.
But there was one last night in Atlanta that I can entirely get behind, for reasons that go far beyond sports. “So then next year when you’re not a rookie, you don’t have to worry about making rookie mistakes”. It’s a spectacle for TV and for fans; there are so many good players and All-Stars on the court. The Warriors tallied 32 assists while committing a season-low tying eight turnovers. But the Warriors responded immediately with Curry scoring seven points as part of an 11-0 run. Lakers rookie D’Angelo Russell and almost-rookie Julius Randle combined to help cut the 22-point lead down to only 16 points by halftime.
Mike Conley scored 21 points, Green added 19 and seven Memphis players finished in double figures in a 110-96 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. How many wins they get this year remains to be seen but somewhere in the 70s isn’t out of the question.
Yet, Scott did not hold Bryant responsible for contributing to that poor ball movement.
“I guess that might be something”, he said. “But tonight he really struggled”. He scored just four points and had two more turnovers (3) than he did baskets. He received a framed jersey from Adonal Foyle in a presentation after the first quarter. He airballed a 3-pointer to open the third quarter.
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“Now we have to make sure we don’t drop off and give a game away now just because we broke this record”.
