Golden State Warriors vs. Washington Wizards: Postgame Grades and Analysis
Stephen Curry scored 32 points, Klay Thompson added 17, and the Golden State Warriors topped the slumping Washington Wizards, 114-107, Tuesday night at the Verizon Center.
This was a close game throughout, as neither team led by double digits at any point.
Not surprisingly, the Warriors utilized great three-point shooting to come out on top, as they shot 12-of-23 from beyond the arc as a team. They also shot 50 percent from the floor overall.
The Wizards actually shot the ball very well, hitting on 53 percent of their field-goal attempts, but they committed 26 turnovers. By comparison, Golden State only had nine giveaways.
Paul Pierce led Washington, which has now lost nine of its last 11 contests, with 25 points.
Despite the loss, Wizards head coach Randy Wittman was pleased with his team's effort, per Hoop District:
You will look for any silver lining when you are struggling.
| Stephen Curry | A+ |
| Klay Thompson | B |
| Andrew Bogut | F |
| Draymond Green | B+ |
| Harrison Barnes | C |
| Rest of Team | A |
| John Wall | C |
| Paul Pierce | A |
| Marcin Gortat | A- |
| Nene | C |
| Garrett Temple | B- |
| Rest of Team | B |
Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry: A+
What more can you say about Stephen Curry?
He was brilliant all night, pouring in 32 points off 11-of-18 shooting and going 5-of-9 from three-point range.
Curry exhibited some jaw-dropping moves, demonstrating some incredible handles and either burying triples off the dribble or getting into the teeth of the defense and finishing extremely difficult shots.
He also recorded eight assists and did not register a single turnover, which may have been his most impressive feat in an all-around fantastic night.
Of Curry's 32 points, 13 came in the first quarter and 14 came in the third.
Curry talked about the importance of his big third period postgame, per Hoop District:
Setting the tone in the first quarter was huge, too.
Klay Thompson: B
Klay Thompson was consistently solid in the win.
He scored 17 points off 7-of-13 shooting, using some nifty fakes to knock down some shots inside the arc (he only attempted two threes, hitting one of them).
You had to like Thompson's effort defensively, as the 2-guard racked up five steals in his 35 minutes.
He also chipped in four assists.
Andrew Bogut: F
This wasn't one of Andrew Bogut's better nights.
The big man did not make a significant impact on either end of the floor, going 1-of-4 and registering only two points and two rebounds.
The Aussie was beat down the floor by Marcin Gortat numerous times and just seemed a step slow throughout most of the night.
He did not register a single block in 20 minutes.
Draymond Green: B+
Draymond Green had a solid night.
He scored 13 points off of an efficient 5-of-9 clip, burying three of his four three-point attempts.
He did a great job of spacing the floor, running to his spot on the three-point line and hurting the Wizards with some long jumpers.
Green also chipped in six rebounds and five assists and more than held his own against Washington's massive front line.
Harrison Barnes: C
I wasn't crazy about Harrison Barnes' performance in this contest.
He shot only 5-of-12 and missed some shots at the rim, including getting blocked a couple of times. He just was not going up strong enough.
For the most part, Barnes looked tentative and appeared to be overwhelmed by Paul Pierce throughout the game.
He scored 11 points.
Rest of Team: A
Marreese Speights was terrific off the bench.
His jumper was automatic early on, as he killed the Wizards in the pick-and-pop game. He scored 16 points in 15 minutes and did it off 6-of-12 shooting.
Andre Iguodala was awesome as well. He posted nine points, three rebounds and three steals. Most importantly, he drilled a huge triple late in the contest to squelch a Washington run.
You then had David Lee hauling in 10 rebounds in only 18 minutes. He shot only 2-of-6, but his impact on the glass was critical.
Shaun Livingston contributed six points off of a 3-of-5 clip.
Washington Wizards
John Wall: C
This wasn't a great evening for John Wall.
He did have a double-double with 16 points and 11 assists, but his efficiency was only so-so. He shot 8-of-18, went 0-of-4 from long range and did not make a single free throw.
Wall also committed seven turnovers.
The All-Star was unable to get into any kind of rhythm and never really left his fingerprints on this game. Plus, he struggled to stay with Curry on the perimeter, as he was shaken a couple of times by the sharpshooter's handles.
Paul Pierce: A
Pierce turned back the clock Tuesday night.
The wily veteran scored 25 points, 14 of those coming in the third quarter. He did it from all over the floor, draining a pair of triples, using his trademark up fakes and craftiness for some buckets inside the arc and bulling his way to the basket to draw fouls.
Pierce shot 7-of-11 and made all nine of his free throws. He also added five boards and played some solid defense, including a chase-down block on a Barnes dunk attempt.
The bad news about The Truth's evening was that he banged knees with Green on the final play of the game and had to be helped off the court. Fortunately, Pierce was alright, as he comically said as much after the contest, per Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post:
There's one bright spot for Washington.
Marcin Gortat: A-
Gortat was terrific in this one.
He abused Bogut and the rest of the Warriors frontcourt for most of the evening, consistently beating them down the floor for easy buckets. You have to appreciate that kind of hustle. Gortat also went to work in the post a couple of times.
He finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds, going 8-of-11 from the field. He also made some nice dishes, contributing three dimes.
Interestingly enough, Gortat did not play in the fourth quarter, and head coach Randy Wittman was asked about the decision postgame, per Castillo:
Personally, I feel he would have helped, and it appears Gortat felt so, too, per Castillo:
Uh oh.
Nene: C
Nene did not fully take advantage of the mismatches that were presented to him.
Defended by the much smaller Green for most of the night, Nene only took four shots, failing to utilize his size and strength advantage.
He totaled nine points and seven rebounds, and while that is certainly not poor, the four turnovers he committed were.
Garrett Temple: B-
I liked the way Garrett Temple played in this one.
He went 3-of-7 from the floor, made a pair of treys and put his body on the line and sprinted back on defense the entire night.
His highlight was a great chase-down block on a Barnes layup attempt (Barnes was on the wrong end of that quite a bit in this one, huh?).
Temple finished with 10 points, three rebounds and two steals in 26 minutes.
Rest of Team: B
Kevin Seraphin was solid off the bench, registering 10 points and three rebounds. He made some beautiful hook shots, using his strength to get position in the post and then finishing with a nice touch. His issue was that he committed four turnovers in 18 minutes.
Rasual Butler was decent, too, tallying nine points off 4-of-7 shooting. However, he went only 1-of-3 from distance, misfiring badly on the two misses.
Kris Humphries went 3-of-5 for six points and also grabbed five boards in 17 minutes.
Ramon Sessions was pretty brutal, going only 1-of-5 in 16 minutes.
What's Next?
The Warriors will head to Quicken Loans Arena for a national TV showdown with the Cleveland Cavaliers at 8 p.m. ET Thursday night. Be sure to catch that game on TNT.
Meanwhile, the Wizards will look to reverse their fortunes when they travel to the Target Center to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in Kevin Garnett's homecoming at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday night.
