Watch Klay Thompson Torch San Antonio For 29 Points in the First Half [Video]
By Jason McIntyre
Stephen Curry in Game One: 44 points, 14 assists. A grueling 129-127 double overtime loss.
Klay Thompson, the other half of the Splash Brothers, in Game Two: 34 points (8-of-9 three-pointers), 14 rebounds. A 100-91 victory.
Yup, Golden State – despite losing its All-Star, David Lee, last round – is for real. And perhaps Mark Jackson wasn’t exaggerating when he called the pair the “greatest shooting backcourt in the history of the league.”
And now, back to Oakland we go, knotted at one. To a place that gets college-arena loud, and is either 1 or 1A (Oklahoma City) when it comes to the most rabid home crowd in the NBA.
The Spurs have elected to go small, and for spurts it works, like at the end of Game One, when the perfect storm of Golden State turnovers (21 for the game), missed Warriors free throws (58 percent for the game) and torrid San Antonio 3-point shooting (13-for-26 for the game) combined to save the Spurs. But in Game Two, the Warriors cut down the turnovers (9) and the Spurs couldn’t make 3-pointers (5-of-21). Toss in some clutchness from Jarrett Jack and Draymond Green in the 4th, and one could argue the Warriors have outplayed the Spurs in six of eight quarters this series.
How have the Spurs played at Oracle this season?
Feb 22: Golden State 107, San Antonio 101: Bogut didn’t play. Spurs 4-of-22 from deep. Curry/Thompson: 11-for-31, 3-for-12 three-pointers.
April 15: Golden State 116, San Antonio 106. Duncan, Parker, Ginobili, Leonard didn’t play.
Yeah, clearly those games don’t matter, let’s read nothing into them.
Nevertheless, I like the Warriors to win both at home and grab a 3-1 series lead.