Warriors cruise to Game 1 win over Jazz
More than unprecedented range, what makes Stephen Curry a generational player is his penchant for making elite players look silly with a dribble.
The latest example came late in the second quarter of the Warriors’ 106-94 win Tuesdsay night over Utah in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.
After threading the ball between his legs, Curry stepped to his left and, on a crossover, sent center Rudy Gobert into a spin.
By the time the Defensive Player of the Year candidate regained his footing, Curry was knifing through the key for his signature up-and-under layup.
With Curry operating at max efficiency, his big-name supporting cast took advantage of open driving lanes.
With its typically stingy defense faltering, Utah fell behind 9-0 after four minutes and failed to lead or tie the game at any point.
Gordon Hayward, its All-Star small forward, missed 11 of his 15 shot attempts.
Klay Thompson (15 points), Draymond Green (17 points, eight rebounds, six assists), Kevin Durant (17 points) and even Zaza Pachulia (10 points in 14 minutes) were worthy complements.
With a starting lineup boasting four All-Stars, it can embarrass decent opponents on even subpar nights.
“It’s just our guys buying in, trying to do the right thing, and most importantly, keeping the game simple,” said acting head coach Mike Brown, whose Golden State squad tied a franchise record for fewest turnovers in a playoff game with seven.
The question was whether such an extended hiatus, though beneficial to players nursing minor injuries, could leave the Warriors stale.
Unlike the Trail Blazers, who let early struggles snowball into a lopsided defeat in Game 4, the Jazz spread the ball, attacked the paint and hung within striking distance.
Ultimately, Utah’s biggest strength — interior defense — failed it Tuesday.
Though the Warriors finished 7-for-29 beyond the arc, they scored 44 points in the paint.
On a night when Barnes’ 2006-07 “We Believe” team was honored, he was part of the Warriors’ current championship pursuit, bridging the distance between the past five playoff seasons and the last time the Warriors made any noise in the postseason.
Western Conference semifinals