The San Antonio Spurs stunned the Golden State Warriors, while the Cleveland Cavaliers started the National Basketball Association season with a win.
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A season after a breathtaking 24-0 run to start the season, the Warriors were annihilated by the San Antonio Spurs 129-100 on opening night.
San Antonio is arguably their biggest threat this season, and despite losing the experience of Duncan, they have a hugely skilled side that can cause damage all over the court.
The Warriors now know that victory is not preordained, that if they want the glory and the spoils they believe to be theirs, they will have to prove it. Physically, he knocked the likes of Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala off their spots, getting to the middle of the paint and drawing fouls-the 15 free throws Leonard attempted and made proof of a player the defense simply had no answer for.
Taking that into consideration, there is no way the Dubs would start off their season with a loss on their home court, right? “And we didn’t do anything to let that happen”.
“These are high character guys, so I don’t think (adjusting to each other is) going to be a problem at all”, he said.
Yes, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and the Warriors team considered nearly untouchable took a pounding at the hands of Kawhi Leonard – he had a career-high 35 points – and San Antonio. “We know we have some things to clean up and we will lock in and clean those things up but I am not going to make more of the situation than it is or compare it to past year because it is a completely different team”.
Durant himself looked sharp, scoring a team-high 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting.
Thompson was particularly off-colour, making only one three-pointer from six attempts with Curry sinking only three of 10 in his haul of 26 points. The duo combined for 53 points on 20-of-36 shooting.
The Warriors played four of their starters for 33 minutes of more, with only center Zaza Pachulia logging 20 minutes as a starter.
Having won their last 15 home openers at the start of the National Basketball Association season, Portland weren’t about to lose their 16th. The Spurs regained their control over the flow of the game at that point, capitalizing on all of Golden State’s mistakes. “Even if things went awry”, Popovich said. “With that pivotal guy gone, we’ll have to wait and see who accepts that role”. Warriors coach Steve Kerr wore a different colorful version earlier, then a wild tie for the game.
The attention drawn also opened up the offensive glass for the Spurs, who outrebounded the Warriors 55-35, outpacing them in second chance points 26-4.
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It should not be a sign of concern, though, for the two-time defending Western Conference champion Warriors as they were showcasing their new lineup featuring former MVP Kevin Durant, who signed with the Warriors back in July after leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder.
