Warriors Give Jazz the Blues (December 20th Repost)
Following their 45-point demolition of the
Portland Trailblazers on Saturday, the Golden State Warriors (24-4) entered
Oracle Arena on Tuesday evening looking to record their fifth consecutive
victory, and seventh consecutive against this particular opponent.
Tonight's opponent: the red-hot Utah Jazz (18-10). Much like the Warriors, the Jazz entered the contest having won four straight ballgames, and eleven of their previous thirteen. The difference between the teams: Golden State entered the night with the highest-ranked offense in the NBA (117.9 points per game), whereas Utah took the court featuring the 24th most prominent offense in the league (100.2 points per game). Seemingly, if Golden State could manage to exceed their PPG average, a record of 25-4 would be theirs for the taking.
However, the opening stages of this game would firmly demonstrate just how difficult of a task this could be. In the first quarter, Golden State struggled mightily to adapt to Utah's "grind-it-out" style of play. With 8:34 remaining in the first quarter, the Warriors were finally able to break the scoreless tie. Midway through the opening frame, Golden State led Utah by the nearly-comical score of 4-2.
Though the remainder of the quarter illustrated a great deal of improvement in offensive flow, at the conclusion of the first frame, it would be two-time defending NBA MVP Stephen Curry leading all scorers with a mere 9 points. In the opening period of play, the Warriors posted a shooting percentage of 26.9% from the field, slightly surpassing the measily 21.7% posted by the Jazz.
Thankfully for the restless fans at Oracle Arena, the second frame would feature an offensive explosion. All-Star acquisition Kevin Durant would continue to assert himself offensively, and aptly-named "Splash Brother" Klay Thompson (author of a recent 60-point performance against the Indiana Pacers) would connect for his first 13 points of the contest.
As the conclusion of the opening half drew near, Warriors' power-forward Draymond Green was issued a questionable Technical Foul for "hanging on the rim", only further igniting Golden State's juggernaut offense.
The Warriors would finish the second quarter on a 25-8 run, soaring towards an intimidating halftime advantage of 55-33. By this point in the contest, the Warriors' 22-point lead consisted of a quite balanced attack, with their so-called "Big Three" all posting very notable contributions.
At halftime, Stephen Curry had tallied 15 points, with Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson not far behind (connecting for 14 and 13, respectively). Meanwhile, Rudy Gobert would impress for the Jazz, scoring 11 points and collecting 11 rebounds in his own right.
Perhaps as expected, a hard-working team that flourishes in the half-court offense such as Utah would be unable to sustain any sort of significant rally in the third quarter, watching their 22-point deficit increase to 28. By the conclusion of the third quarter, the Warriors had created a nearly-insurmountable 82-54 advantage.
"Garbage Time" would ensue.
As the result of a meaningless final frame, Golden State would manage to outlast Utah 104-74, with the final horn sounding at about 9:50 PM Pacific.
Notable box-scores from tonight's contest for the Warriors include Stephen Curry (25 points), Kevin Durant (22 points), and Draymond Green (15 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 steals).
For the Jazz, Rudy Gobert (11 points and 16 rebounds) and Joe Johnson (14 points) would lead the way in a losing effort.
Moving forward, the main concern for the "Bay's Team" may simply be the health of reserve guard Ian Clark, who suffered a rather inopportune injury after the Warriors had pushed tonight's ballgame out of reach. With any luck, Clark will be available to play in Golden State's next contest against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday evening.
Tonight's opponent: the red-hot Utah Jazz (18-10). Much like the Warriors, the Jazz entered the contest having won four straight ballgames, and eleven of their previous thirteen. The difference between the teams: Golden State entered the night with the highest-ranked offense in the NBA (117.9 points per game), whereas Utah took the court featuring the 24th most prominent offense in the league (100.2 points per game). Seemingly, if Golden State could manage to exceed their PPG average, a record of 25-4 would be theirs for the taking.
However, the opening stages of this game would firmly demonstrate just how difficult of a task this could be. In the first quarter, Golden State struggled mightily to adapt to Utah's "grind-it-out" style of play. With 8:34 remaining in the first quarter, the Warriors were finally able to break the scoreless tie. Midway through the opening frame, Golden State led Utah by the nearly-comical score of 4-2.
Though the remainder of the quarter illustrated a great deal of improvement in offensive flow, at the conclusion of the first frame, it would be two-time defending NBA MVP Stephen Curry leading all scorers with a mere 9 points. In the opening period of play, the Warriors posted a shooting percentage of 26.9% from the field, slightly surpassing the measily 21.7% posted by the Jazz.
Thankfully for the restless fans at Oracle Arena, the second frame would feature an offensive explosion. All-Star acquisition Kevin Durant would continue to assert himself offensively, and aptly-named "Splash Brother" Klay Thompson (author of a recent 60-point performance against the Indiana Pacers) would connect for his first 13 points of the contest.
As the conclusion of the opening half drew near, Warriors' power-forward Draymond Green was issued a questionable Technical Foul for "hanging on the rim", only further igniting Golden State's juggernaut offense.
The Warriors would finish the second quarter on a 25-8 run, soaring towards an intimidating halftime advantage of 55-33. By this point in the contest, the Warriors' 22-point lead consisted of a quite balanced attack, with their so-called "Big Three" all posting very notable contributions.
At halftime, Stephen Curry had tallied 15 points, with Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson not far behind (connecting for 14 and 13, respectively). Meanwhile, Rudy Gobert would impress for the Jazz, scoring 11 points and collecting 11 rebounds in his own right.
Perhaps as expected, a hard-working team that flourishes in the half-court offense such as Utah would be unable to sustain any sort of significant rally in the third quarter, watching their 22-point deficit increase to 28. By the conclusion of the third quarter, the Warriors had created a nearly-insurmountable 82-54 advantage.
"Garbage Time" would ensue.
As the result of a meaningless final frame, Golden State would manage to outlast Utah 104-74, with the final horn sounding at about 9:50 PM Pacific.
Notable box-scores from tonight's contest for the Warriors include Stephen Curry (25 points), Kevin Durant (22 points), and Draymond Green (15 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 steals).
For the Jazz, Rudy Gobert (11 points and 16 rebounds) and Joe Johnson (14 points) would lead the way in a losing effort.
Moving forward, the main concern for the "Bay's Team" may simply be the health of reserve guard Ian Clark, who suffered a rather inopportune injury after the Warriors had pushed tonight's ballgame out of reach. With any luck, Clark will be available to play in Golden State's next contest against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday evening.
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