Golden State Warriors vs. Milwaukee Bucks 03/04/2015

Fresh off of their most grueling road trip of the season, the Golden State Warriors returned to Oracle Arena on Wednesday night in pursuit of a victory against the scuffling Milwaukee Bucks.
After battling through the toughest stretches of their schedule, the remainder of Golden State's season would likely prove much more favorable. Although their margin of error on this night would certainly be slim, the Warriors' confidence level was at an all-time high.
And it certainly didn't hurt that they entered the contest with a record of 24-2 at home.
Led by Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson (the Splash Brothers), as well as Draymond Green's offensive explosion on his birthday, Golden State was money in the first quarter. The Warriors were seeking to embarrass Jason Kidd's Bucks.
Slowly, but surely, however, the Milwaukee comeback began, as Giannis Antetokounmpo and company simply refused to fall quietly. The intense Milwaukee second quarter rally culminated when Michael Carter-Williams banked in a buzzer-beating jumper, sending the game to the break tied at 53.
The Warriors would undoubtedly be much more efficient in the second half. Indeed, they would have to be, if they expected to win.
However, Golden State's inability to capitalize on many of their opportunities carried over into the early part of the third quarter. As Milwaukee's unbelievable 22-2 run continued, Warriors' coach Steve Kerr was forced to call a quick timeout.
With Stephen Curry bottled up for the majority of the night, Golden State was in desperate need of someone to set an offensive pace. And they found their spark plug on this night in the form of reserve point guard Shaun Livingston.
Despite the fact that Andre Iguodala received the accolades for converting a flashy four-point play, Livingston's solid performance in the third powered Golden State to a successful rally. The Warriors would carry a slim one-point lead into the fourth quarter of play.
And while Jason Kidd's plan to shut down Stephen Curry was successful for the majority of the evening, it is nearly impossible to fully contain the Human Torch in a 48-minute contest. Curry banged three consecutive three-point field goals early in the fourth period, driving the excitable Oracle Arena crowd insane.
The rattled Bucks then attempted to slow down the pace with a timeout. However, the game was slowly slipping out of reach. And following a pair of emphatic dunks by Draymond Green and Shaun Livingston, Milwaukee was all but finished.
Golden State went on to claim the 102-93 victory. In the words of Bob Fitzgerald, "Sometimes you've gotta March 4th."

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