It’s a six-game winning streak.
There was excitement in the air for the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night. Jonathan Kuminga was making his long-awaited return, and Steph Curry was on the verge of becoming the first player in NBA history to make 4,000 three-pointers.
But there was also importance in the air: the Warriors were facing a pesky and talented Sacramento Kings team, and needed a win to stay ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the standings, and avoid falling back into the play-in tournament.
They took their job seriously. All of them. Every last one of them.
In a true showing of “strength in numbers,” the Warriors had their most balanced game of the season. Everyone chipped in, in every facet of the game, from the opening tip until the final buzzer, which put the stamp on an emphatic 130-104 victory, and gave the team their first six-game winning streak of the season.
The balance was on display from the start. Draymond Green, generally not much of a scoring threat, made corner threes on the first two possessions, before second-round rookie Quinten Post started to take over, scoring, rebounding, and blocking shots. They looked like they were having all kinds of fun, and a Gary Payton II three made it a 23-9 lead about seven minutes in.
Kuminga checked in early in the quarter and looked fantastic, showing no hesitation with his sprained ankle, attacking the rim relentlessly and flying all over the court. The team was remarkably active on defense, and moved the ball nonstop on offense. They dominated the points off turnover battle 6-0 in the quarter, and led 30-18 at the end of the frame.
But they were just getting started. A burst early in the second quarter — Green made another three, then Moses Moody picked a pocket at halfcourt and found Post for a three — made it a 39-24 lead, forcing Doug Christie to call a timeout less than two minutes into the quarter. Shortly later, they’d go on a 9-0 run to take a 50-30 lead, and would push the margin to 23 points before the halfway mark.
Good things generally don’t last forever though, and the Kings — who were playing small with Domantas Sabonis sidelined — found a push late. Suddenly Sacramento was playing with energy, and it spooked the Dubs into playing sloppily. Golden State couldn’t get a good look off, and ended the half having not made a field goal in nearly five minutes. Sacramento ended the frame on a 12-1 run, and cut the lead to 61-51 at the break. Worst of all, Curry was moving gingerly, looking like his back wasn’t fully healthy.
Sacramento’s run carried into the third quarter. Keegan Murray drained a three for the first points of the half, and after three minutes the Kings had cut the deficit to just four points. It looked like we were in for a close game.
How silly we were to think that. A minute later, Curry pump-faked, side-stepped, and drained a vintage three, making history with his 4,000th triple. It seemed to energize the team, and suddenly they were moving the ball beautifully and crisply again, flying around the court on defense, and out-hustling the Kings. Sacramento, led by a fantastic game from DeMar DeRozan, kept firing back, but each push seemed to only inspire the Warriors more. Like a weed getting cut, they grew stronger with each Kings run, and ended the third quarter the way they always do these days: with Jimmy Butler III playing bully ball, inflicting his will on Sacramento in a contagious manner. A Gui Santos floater swished through the net with just 0.8 seconds remaining, sending the Warriors into the final quarter up 96-83.
Remember when the Warriors used to fall apart in the fourth quarter seemingly every game? Yeah, those days are long gone. There was no drama whatsoever in the fourth quarter. The Warriors increased the lead with Curry on the bench, with huge plays on both sides of the court by Moody.
But the real joy in the quarter came from Kuminga, who looked as athletic as ever, and flawlessly fit in with a system that has evolved to incorporate Butler. Kuminga seemed to break free from the defense for punctuating dunk after punctuating dunk in the fourth quarter, each time bringing energy to the crowd, the bench, and the court. The Warriors lived at the rim in the fourth, seemingly getting everything they wanted in the paint.
After a timeout with just under four minutes remaining, Green found Kuminga for a dunk on a perfectly-designed play, pushing the lead back to 20 points. All that was left was to bring in the subs, and wait for the final score to be decided.
So just how balanced was the attack? In a 10-man rotation, eight different players scored in double figures. And hilariously, one of their stars, Butler, was one of the two who didn’t.
Green led the way with 23 points and shot 4-for-7 from deep, while Kuminga had a wildly-efficient 18 points in just 20 minutes. Moody needed just seven shots and six free throws to score 17 points, while Buddy Hield kept his hot shooting going with 16. Curry (11), Payton (11), Post (10), and Santos (10) rounded out the double-figure nights.
The Warriors shot 56.4% from three-point range, and assisted on 35 of their 45 made shots. That showed that they’re still the beautiful, three-point heavy, motion offense that won them four titles, but the Butler addition has turned them into a tougher team inside, and that was on display, too: the Warriors comfortably won the rebounding battle and the points in the paint battle, and shot more free throws than the Kings.
They’re now 13-1 with Butler in the lineup, and you have permission to dream about how far they can go. Curry certainly is.
The Dubs now get a day off before hosting the New York Knicks on Saturday night.