Getty Steve Kerr embraces Stephen Curry following a game between the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings.
Fans waiting for the Golden State Warriors to resemble the club that brought home the Larry O’Brien Trophy last summer finally got something to sink their teeth into on Saturday. Facing the Boston Celtics for the first time since the two teams squared off in the NBA Finals, the Dubs prevailed in dominant fashion.
Led by Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, who Splash Bro’d their way to a combined 66 points, Golden State secured a 123-107 win to get back over the .500 mark at 14-13. Time will tell whether the win ends up springboarding them back to the upper crust of the Association but, either way, it felt different than others have this season.
The team started strong, kept the East-leading Beantowners at arm’s length throughout the affair and prevailed in blowout fashion. The bench held together, too, despite the fact that Andrew Wiggins’ absence left the team shorthanded. It was one of the few complete games Golden State has played all year.
For his part, Warriors coach Steve Kerr made no bones about how big the W was for him and his club.
Coach Kerr Sounds Off
During his postgame presser, Kerr made it clear that he thought the Boston beatdown was a landmark moment for the Dubs’ season.
“Especially the way they’ve played this year, they’ve just been so good, so dominant. I thought we needed a game like that,” Kerr told reporters, via CLNS. “We’ve been a bit stuck in the mud. It feels like we’ve gotten better, but not a whole lot to show for it. This was an important win for us.”
He’s not wrong; heading into the Finals rematch, the Warriors had lost back-to-back games. And while the officiating may have played a hand in the team’s heartbreaking setback against the Utah Jazz, the team’s closing effort left a lot to be desired, too. And the loss nullified whatever progress was shown during the contest.
This time, the Dubs got their confetti.
Added Kerr: “I just like where we are heading. Because the guys off the bench are starting to play and assume their roles. Our defense seems to be getting better. All that points in a good direction.”
Steph Reveals His All-Time Starting Five
As part of the media blast surrounding his SI Sportsperson of the Year win, Curry was asked to name his all-time NBA starting five with the stipulation that the lineup includes himself. Using that as criteria, here’s what the Warriors cornerstone came up with:
“I’m at PG. I’m going with Magic [Johnson] — we’ll play hybrid guards,” he said. “You got [Michael] Jordan. You got Dirk [Nowitzki] spacing the floor, shooting the ball. And you got the big man, the Diesel [Shaquille O’Neal], holding it down. So, that’s a solid lineup I think.”
One can’t help but wonder if his inclusion of Nowitzki (presumably at the expense of LeBron James) says anything about his thoughts on the GOAT debate.
In any case, one can definitely see how the five-man group would function as a winning unit on the actual hardwood.