Getty Gary Payton II of the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors need to be getting into a playoff-caliber rhythm down the stretch of the season. If they want to have any chance at making a deep playoff run, they need to iron out all of the inconsistencies that have plagued them for the majority of the season.
While it wasn’t perfect, the Warriors took care of business on Friday night, taking down the San Antonio Spurs. Gary Payton II provided the team with a huge spark off the bench, and after the game, Stephen Curry spoke about how great it’s been to have him back in the fold.
“Like we talked about when the trade happened and the build-up to him coming back, he just knows how to play,” Curry said via the NBA Interviews YouTube channel. “[He] knows how to make winning plays. [He] finds himself in the right place on both ends. Some of the stuff that doesn’t show up in the stat sheet. His ball pressure. Just his overall presence. So, he had a big three in the corner and got a big steal as soon as he came in. Got us a couple of extra possessions [with] offensive rebounds. So, it’s just the little things that you can trust that he’s going to make those plays, and he also gets the crowd involved.”
Payton’s impact didn’t fully translate to the box score, but he still put up some decent stats. He finished the game with seven points, eight rebounds (four offensive), one assist, one steal, and one block on 3-of-5 shooting from the field and 1-of-2 shooting from deep.
As for Curry, he absolutely dominated the Spurs. He ended the night with 33 points, two rebounds, and five assists on 11-of-21 shooting from the floor and 7-of-11 shooting from behind the three-point line.
Donte DiVincenzo Sounds Off on Stephen Curry
Meanwhile, after the Warriors’ recent win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Donte DiVincenzo stressed the point that Curry needs to take over games more often, as he clearly has the talent to do so.
“I think he should do it more often,” DiVincenzo said via Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “Take over. Sometimes, given how good he is, and how good of a leader he is, he’s a little too passive. You’re the best player out there. Go win us the game.”
Stephen Curry Sends Message on Draymond Green
In addition, Curry praised Draymond Green after the Pelicans win, as his energy was a big reason they were able to make a 20-point comeback.
“It just brings out that competitive fire that we have demonstrated for a decade now, and just understanding what it takes to will yourself out of a tough situation,” Curry said via the NBA Interviews YouTube channel. “I think I heard him [Green] say, ‘Not a lot of people can talk when they’re down 20.’ But it’s built off of a belief and an understanding of who we are at our best. That kind of competitive will that we’ve had. We’ve been in a lot of different situations over the course of these years, and for whatever reason, no matter how bad we’ve played, and how inconsistent we’ve been, we can pull off a night like tonight. So, he’s well aware of that and has a feel for- when it was a little sleepy in the first half, he got us going.”
