Two Highs, Two Lows to Take Away from the Warriors Revenge Win Against Phoenix
The Warriors’ three-game slide finally came to an end last night. Golden State took down the Phoenix Suns, 119-116, and got back to winning ways for the first time since December 7th. This game looked like it could get ugly after the Warriors gave up 44 points in the first quarter, but Steve Kerr’s team reeled the deficit back in before halftime. The “Dubs” once again lived up to their nickname, “Third-Quarter Warriors,” shutting down Phoenix to just 20 points while scoring 29 themselves. Late in the fourth, the game could’ve slipped away as the Suns’ isolation offense scored at will, but Golden State clamped down in the last possession and walked out of Chase Center victorious. Here are a few things we learned from last night’s game.
Perimeter Defense Led the Way
Though this typically classifies as a weak point for the team, Golden State forced Phoenix to do its damage inside the arc. The Suns shot just 12-35 from three-point range, with only Dillon Brooks shooting efficiently with three of five. Warrior defenders flew around the perimeter and covered each other well, making open looks hard to come by for Jordan Ott’s group. This may have been an exception to what’s otherwise considered a weakness, but it proved crucial for Golden State to come out on top against Phoenix.
Situationally Superior to Their Opponents
Last night, Golden State simply made one more play than the Suns. The Warriors could’ve prevented a few buckets by raising their defensive intensity in crunch time, but they made up those mishaps on offense. All night long, the team had success in slashing and finding open cutters, and none were more important than Jimmy Butler’s baseline cut with 54 seconds left, which resulted in an and-one. There’s a clear recipe for success, and it usually involves sharing the basketball with this squad.
Struggling to Contain the Superstar
Though the Warriors usually limit their opponents’ supporting cast, they have struggled to keep the opposing team’s best player in check, especially guards. Devin Booker finished yesterday’s game with 38 points on just under 50% from the field, displaying the lethal mid-range that he so often terrorizes other teams with. Booker had his way against Golden State, and his three-point play with under a minute left nearly brought Phoenix all the way back. Once the season winds down and the playoffs approach, these superstars will elevate their game even more to secure better seeding, so this problem can become even larger then.
Turnovers. Turnovers. Turnovers
As they did when these two teams met on Thursday, the Warriors lost the turnover battle. Fortunately for Kerr’s guys, they didn’t pay as hefty a price as they did last time they turned the ball over 20 times. On Thursday, the Suns scored 30 points off the same number of turnovers, while they managed to cash in just 15 points yesterday. The Warriors are 10-3 when they take care of the ball better than their opponent, showing just how critical it is for them to have a greater turnover margin. The formula is simple: prevent self-inflicted errors, win games.
