(2) WARRIORS V. (6) PELICANS
GAME 1 - SEMIFINALS
NOP 101 @ GSW 123
Golden State did it again last night..
By "it" I'm referring to the (proverbial) switch they flipped in the second quarter of their Game 1 demolition of New Orleans.
After the first 12 minutes, it looked like we were headed for a shootout - the Pels hit shots, got off to a strong start w/ 34 pts v. GSW's 35.
Prior to the game, Coach Alvin Gentry emphasized the importance of not letting Golden State reel off one of their patented runs - you know, the usual third quarter onslaught featuring easy fast break opportunities, triples & lockdown D.
Welp, at least it didn't happen in the third! The second quarter was a tremendous struggle for New Orleans - they were outscored 41!-21, setting the tone for the rest of the game.
Final Score: GSW 123, NOP 101.
Klay Thompsn
GM. 1: 27 pts, 6 boards, 4 triples
Golden State making a run in the second (instead of the 3rd) highlights the clear advantage they possess in terms of depth. When initial subs are made, the Pels don't have enough pieces to counter a potential 10-11 deep roster on the other side.
With only a few guys* getting key minutes off the bench (Darius Miller, Ian Clark & Solomon Hill), someone needs to be in double figures each night + play consistent defense on the other end. It's magnified when Anthony Davis doesn't have a monster night (just** 21 & 10 boards in GM. 1) & if Jrue Holiday & Nikola Mirotic are off - combined for 7/23 shooting.
Klay Thompson (27 pts), Kevin Durant (26 & 13 boards) & Draymond Green (TD! - 16, 15! boards, 11! dimes & 3 steals) paced Golden State in the victory.
Game 2 should look a lot different, with Stephen Curry scheduled to make his (2018) postseason debut.
Can New Orleans rebound & get a road split?
*More PT for Jordan Crawford!? - scored 14! pts in 8 min. in Game 1 (garbage time)
**Decent night by his standards