Golden State Warriors vs. Miami Heat: Postgame Grades and Analysis
The Golden State Warriors started slowly in Tuesday's visit to the Miami Heat, but the Dubs displayed their usual superb shooting, and the defense clamped down in the fourth to secure a 114-97 win.
Stephen Curry assailed the Heat for 40 points behind eight three-pointers, and he handed out seven dimes for good measure. Dwyane Wade sat out to rest his hamstring, and Chris Bosh led the way for Miami with 26 points and nine rebounds.
The Warriors came in leading the league in defensive efficiency, per NBA.com, but the Heat leaped out to an early lead thanks to a 36-point first quarter. They went up by 16 points midway through the second, just before the Warriors woke from their slumber and closed it to a one-point game at the half.
The Heat even took a two-point lead with seven minutes left to play, but the Dubs reeled off a 14-0 run to turn this crisp contest into a laugher.
Here are game grades for all the key players from the Warriors' road win.
| GSW | PG | Stephen Curry | A |
| GSW | SG | Klay Thompson | B+ |
| GSW | SF | Harrison Barnes | C+ |
| GSW | PF | Draymond Green | B- |
| GSW | C | Andrew Bogut | B |
| MIA | PG | Norris Cole | C- |
| MIA | SG | Mario Chalmers | B- |
| MIA | SF | Luol Deng | B |
| MIA | PF | Shawne Williams | C |
| MIA | C | Chris Bosh | A- |
Key Warriors Player Grades
Stephen Curry, Point Guard
Curry hit his seventh three-pointer with a couple of minutes left in the third quarter. That set a new league-high total for the season, according to the telecast via NBA TV. He was feeling the beat from head to toe, and Curry even offered a celebratory shimmy after his seventh trey of the night.
And he shimmied on and on. Curry kept adding spice to the pot until he sat there with a nice round 40—from only 19 shots. Curry could do no wrong, adding seven assists, six boards, three steals and a block.
This was one of those nights where it's nearly impossible to argue with those who call him the greatest shooter in the history of the universe.
""It's like he's dropping crackers in soup" - Isiah Thomas's description of Steph Curry shooting
— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) November 26, 2014"
Grade: A
Klay Thompson, Shooting Guard
Though he couldn't find much behind the arc and hung behind his fellow "Splash Brother," Thompson still had a strong night from the field and tallied 24 points, although he also took 19 shots and came up with 16 fewer points than his point guard.
He also drilled a big triple with four-and-a-half minutes remaining to put the Warriors up by four, and they never looked back. Thompson had a dynamic game, getting a couple of buckets from down in the post, but he also nearly fouled out.
Grade: B+
Andrew Bogut, Center
Bogut did a little bit of everything, including bringing the ball up on several occasions. But when he was back in his comfort zone, he finished just short of a modest double-double (eight points, 10 rebounds) while finishing second on the team with five dimes and swatting a couple of shots.
He couldn't keep Bosh in check, but he did enough, and his ability to pass as a big man gives the Warriors multiple advantages on offense.
Grade: B
Draymond Green, Power Forward
Draymond Green looked a little more like the 2013-14 version of himself than the potent player who has filled in for the injured David Lee, but Green still played a solid overall game.
Though he misfired on all three of his attempts from behind the arc, he hit three of his five other shots and got to the line eight times, finishing with 11 points and six boards. His three assists, two blocks and a steal will delight fantasy owners and serve as a reminder of his versatility, with physicality on the block and the ability—usually—to step out and hit a trey.
Grade: B-
Harrison Barnes, Small Forward
Barnes notched seven points in the first quarter and predictably tapered off from there. He made his presence felt on the glass down the stretch as the Warriors dug in their heels.
Barnes got himself 12 points and eight boards in all, but you'd hope for a little more from him over 36 minutes after the quick start to the game.
Grade: C+
Rest of Bench
If the Warriors had five of Marreese Speights, they'd never lose. He made four of his five shots off the bench and had five boards to go with eight points in 15 minutes.
The calculation of Andre Iguodala's shelf life continues. He had five points along with five fouls, but in fairness, Iggy clearly explained to the referee why some of those were not actually fouls.
Grade: C-
Key Heat Player Grades
Chris Bosh, Center
Chris Bosh did the heavy lifting once again for Miami. All he did was hit 10 shots on 19 attempts, including a pair of threes, and find nine rebounds. However, this was another example of just how thin this year's Heat are when Wade is not on the court.
With more quality on the floor, the Dubs never would have enjoyed a 14-0 run late in the fourth quarter.
Grade: A-
Luol Deng, Small Forward
Deng quietly racked up another nice scoring game, getting to 16 points with barely a mention from the announcing crew. But one would also hope for more than three rebounds from the starting small forward.
Grade: B
Mario Chalmers, Shooting Guard
Filling in for the resting D-Wade, Chalmers raced out of the gate by scoring a baker's dozen through 12 minutes. Briefly, he looked more like Curry than Curry, but that didn't even last until halftime.
To Chalmers' credit, he kept up his kleptomania by notching four steals but also went butcher-freezer cold from the field after the first frame, finishing on 4-of-17 shooting for 14 points. He missed each of his final 10 shots.
Grade: B-
Norris Cole, Point Guard
Cole struggled mightily to put the round ball through the peach basket. He missed in all manner of ways. He tried a reverse layup and failed to touch rim. He bricked mid-range jumpers; he bricked long-range jumpers. He made only one of his eight field-goal attempts and added two assists, but at least he didn't turn the ball over.
Grade: C-
Shawne Williams, Power Forward
Williams found his rhythm for part of the third quarter, but he couldn't keep the mojo working. Give credit to the Warriors defense for strong closeouts and keeping Williams located after his short scoring outburst. Williams got himself 11 points, but he also got saddled with a game-low minus-32 floor rating.
Grade: C
Rest of Bench
It was mostly in a joking manner that people referred to rookie James Ennis as "King James" after his merciless posterization of Rasual Butler in the season opener. That was just one dunk. But a handful of games later, Ennis looks like a legitimate contributor who can offer valuable bench minutes while stuffing the stat sheet.
All hail King James! Ennis came off the bench with eight points, eight boards, four dimes and two blocks.
Shabazz Napier reached double-digit scoring with a 10-spot, and he might have seen more minutes if not for a little foul trouble. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra deployed a three-guard lineup numerous times.
Josh McRoberts very nearly put Bogut on a poster, but the Aussie wouldn't allow that and fouled "McBob" sufficiently so that he bricked the dunk attempt.
It's a pity, because that highlight would have been memorable. McRoberts scored four points in 21 minutes.
Grade: C
What's Next?
The 11-2 Warriors complete the back-to-back with a visit to the Orlando Magic on Nov. 26. The 8-7 Heat get a ton of time to rest up before they visit the New York Knicks on Nov. 30.
