Now the cherry on top: A 120-90 evisceration of the San Antonio Spurs, who entered the game with a 38-6 record and a better average point differential than Golden State. The Warriors played stifling defense, forcing San Antonio into 8 first quarter turnovers.
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“It was like men and boys out there tonight”, Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich said after the game.
“Every time we have an opportunity to prove who we are and take another step in the journey, we’re ready for it”, Curry said.
Do my eyes deceive me?
The Spurs were licking their wounds, the Clippers were trying to comprehend theirs, and what were the Warriors doing Tuesday? But the rolls and bounces were going in Golden State’s favor.
Stephen Curry led the way for the Warriors as he scored 37 points, shooting 60 percent from the field (12-of-20), and knocking down six three-pointers. And they got their feelings hurt by Curry and Co.
The two best teams in the NBA would dominate the discussion all day in basketball circles, but at the end of Monday night, one team would dominate the game. After their loss to the Detroit Pistons, the Warriors humiliated the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are leading the Eastern Conference, shut down the fourth place Chicago Bulls, narrowly beat the Indiana Pacers and crushed the San Antonio Spurs, adding another impressive win to their incredible season. Draymond Green was a defensive force on both LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard (21 points total), and Brandon Rush and Shaun Livingston combined for 26 points off the bench in a game where the Spurs never led. Last year, a single loss dropped the Spurs from the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference to the No. 6 seed; they played the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round and lost. Curry made a juke move that sent Leonard stumbling, took the pass and sidestepped the recovering Leonard for a long jumper.
In a span of eight days, the Warriors have 30-point wins over Cleveland, Chicago and San Antonio. “They’re 41-4 have a realistic shot at being the second team to win 70 games or possibly the first to win 73”.
Spurs forward Tim Duncan didn’t play because of knee soreness, but it may not have made a difference for the five-time champions.
It worked, at least to start the third as the Spurs scored the first five points and cut the lead to 10.
There is also the looming test of the playoffs where teams will be given the chance to adjust to the Warriors’ style of play over a seven-game series.
I’m just glad my general manager wasn’t in the locker room, because it might have gotten me fired. Only three players of the Spurs scored in double figures.
Defensively, this Spurs team will bounce back. “But I enjoy it. I’ll continue to enjoy it. And I’ll continue to do what I do”.
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“I love Pop, he’s my guy”, Kerr smiled, “but I don’t feel that bad right now”.
