Before the end of the game on Monday evening, the Warriors had already secured a place in the play-in tournament. Against the Utah Jazz they showed why they will be a tough matchup in the playoffs.
Stephen Curry’s 3-pointers and free throws in the final 15 seconds sealed a 119-116 win over Jazz at the Chase Center and put Golden State in position to earn the cheaper # 8 starting hours after losing one Pelicans secured the Warriors a place in the play-in tournament.
Though Utah was without the starting place for Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic (who scored 48 points in a win over the Rockets on Friday), the contestants for the sixth Men of the Year, Joe Ingles and Jordan Clarkson, and the alleged defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert. The Jazz entered the game with five straight wins and, injured or not, is one of the deepest teams in the league.
Thanks to the Warriors who have now won three straight and five straight wins as they aim to return to the playoffs. Curry scored 36 points on 11 for 25 shots, Draymond Green had 12 points, 10 assists and six rebounds, and Golden State received major contributions from the rest of the roster, including Juan Toscano-Anderson, whose corner 3-pointer was broken in the third quarter on A 18th : 8 run that helped Golden State retreat.
« We started like crazy, » said head coach Steve Kerr. “Our boys stayed with it. A damn good win against the team with the best record in the league. »
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – MAY 10: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry # 30 celebrates after hitting the game-winning 3-point basket in the fourth quarter of his NBA game against the Utah Jazz at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California . on Tuesday May 10, 2021. (Jane Tyska / Bay Area News Group)
Jazz spent the night aggressively doubling up curry. With 3:32 in the third, Curry was flashed when he crossed half the place. He turned the ball to Green, who swung it to Toscano-Anderson in the corner. Toscano-Anderson celebrated by flexing the biceps of his two arms, and Green stepped up his teammates as the best-in-class Warriors took a 10-point lead over the team. Jordan Poole (20 points on 6 for 11 shots) took a half shot to beat the third quarter buzzer and give the Warriors an 89-75 lead over fourth.
But the Jazz (50-19) is a competitor for a reason and fought its way back from 18 points and almost stole the game too late. Clarkson’s layup and 3-pointers to two consecutive properties completed Utah’s 29-9 run to take a 1:11 lead. Moments later, the Warriors forced Clarkson – who ended up with 41 points to 16 for 33 shots – to a miss.
With 21.6 seconds to go, Curry missed a 3-pointer in the transition, but Kevon Looney caught the offensive ricochet back and tossed Green, who slipped Curry over the arch. Curry, who missed 10 of his first 12 3-point attempts, made his final attempt 14.5 seconds ahead and took a 1-point lead.
« If you know anything about basketball or anything about me, I’ll find Steph, » said Green, whose defensive rebound from Clarkson’s missed layup and Curry’s subsequent free throws made the final mark on victory.
The Warriors (36-33) needed this win to have a half-game lead over the Grizzlies for the number 8. The result of losing New Orleans is that Golden State is guaranteed a chance to advance to a playoff series. The downside is that the loss to Memphis came with the Golden State jockeying overall. Both teams will meet on May 16 in the regular season finals, a game that could determine the tie for the cheaper number 8.
« Every time you play a team like (Utah) you’ll wake up and put your best foot forward, » said security guard Kent Bazemore, who finished with 19 points. “It says a lot to us when we pull it out. It’s very encouraging. So we look forward to these challenges.
« We will be dangerous in the coming weeks. »
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA – MAY 10: Utah Jazz ‘Bojan Bogdanovic # 44 walks past as he is guarded by Andrew Wiggins # 22 of Golden State Warriors in the first quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif. On Tuesday . May 10, 2021. (Jane Tyska / Bay Area News Group)
Getting the number 8 would give Golden State two chances to win a game and advance to the playoffs. The play-in tournament includes seeds 7-10, with the teams with the seventh and eighth highest records playing a game for seeds # 7. The loser of this game meets the winner of the nine-ten game for number 8.
Furthermore, this game has proven that a matchup against the Warriors with Curry, Green and an increasingly reliable sideline should make any higher playoff seed nervous. Golden State may not have enough depth to start a deep playoff run, but as Monday night showed, Curry and Co. are capable of winning every night and making it difficult for Western competitors.
« We play our best basketball of the season in the sense that we only understand how to win, » said Curry. « Sometimes it goes in our direction, sometimes not. But it feels good when the important games are here and approaching. »
Ref: https://www.mercurynews.com
