Golden State Warriors Coast into 2nd Round and Other Saturday NBA Takeaways
No drama, no theatrics and no messing around. The Golden State Warriors are moving on to the second round of the NBA playoffs the only way they know how—in style.
After taking complete control of its first-round series with a miraculous Game 3 victory that crippled the New Orleans Pelicans' waning hopes, Golden State dealt one final knockout blow to the eighth seed with a 109-98 win on Saturday night.
Just as they did while posting the NBA's largest margin of victory during the regular season, the Warriors employed flawless offensive execution fueled by three-point shooting, transition scoring and pinpoint passing to overwhelm the Pelicans.
In their closeout effort, the Western Conference's No. 1 overall seed shot 54.2 percent from three, outscored New Orleans, 20-0, in the open floor, turned the ball over just 10 times and recorded 28 dishes on 40 of its converted swishes.
That's a formula for success against any team, and head coach Steve Kerr knows it, according to the Warriors' official Twitter account:
The Pelicans, valiant as they were, simply couldn't match Golden State's raw firepower—which will be a real concern for the Warriors' eventual second-round opponent, be it the Memphis Grizzlies or the Portland Trail Blazers.
Anthony Davis went out guns blazing, pouring in 36 points while hauling in 11 rebounds, despite being used sparingly on crucial late-game possessions that begged for more of his face-up shooting capabilities.
As CBSSports.com's Matt Moore noted, New Orleans will need to make concerted efforts to run the offense through its world-beating power forward in the future:
Over the course of his four-game postseason debut, Davis averaged 31.5 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks while shooting 54 percent from the field and 88.9 percent from the free-throw line.
But the Warriors—as they have been all season—were too dominant across the board to let one heroic performer stand in their way.
Stephen Curry, Draymond Green (22 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists) and Klay Thompson (25 points) set the tone with a rapturous first-half scoring effort, as outlined by ESPN Stats & Info, and that production helped Golden State keep New Orleans at arm's length throughout the second half.
Curry dazzled with a game-high 39 points (11-of-20 shooting, 6-of-8 from three) eight rebounds and nine assists, with his most impressive dime coming via an over-the-shoulder hook pass to Harrison Barnes in the third quarter:
Staying true to form, degree of difficulty didn't prevent Curry from tickling the twine at an obscene rate, per ESPN Stats & Info and GSWStats:
Having passed their first postseason test, the Warriors ride into an extended break with time to scout their next opponent and rest legs that got a good workout chasing Davis and Co. for four games.
And if their regular season results are any indication, the Warriors are in for a favorable semifinal showdown whether they face the Blazers or Grizzlies.
| Regular Season Record | 2-1 | 3-0 |
| PPG | 105.3 | 111.0 |
| FG% | 45.2% | 52.8% |
| 3P% | 44.2% | 42.3% |
Golden State imposed its offensive will against both second-round hopefuls this year, and with the Grizzlies ill-equipped to play at the Warriors' fast pace and the Blazers defensively deficient on the perimeter, the Warriors will enter as heavy favorites against either squad.
All that will be left for the Warriors to do is use the formula that allowed for tremendous Round 1 success as they maintain a stern focus on the Larry O'Brien Trophy shining at the end of their postseason tunnel.
Around the Association
Bayless Breathes Life Into the Bucks
Jason Kidd may have a future in this coaching thing.
After Khris Middleton forced a steal on Derrick Rose with time winding down, Kidd drew up a flawless sideline out-of-bounds design. His innovation resulted in a game-winning backdoor layup from Jerryd Bayless (courtesy of Jared Dudley) as time expired to hand Milwaukee a 92-90 Game 4 win.
According to the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson, Rose took full responsibility for the loss:
The series now shifts back to the Windy City with Chicago looking to close out Milwaukee in Game 5. No team in league history has come back to win a seven-game series after losing the first three contests, according to WhoWins.com.
The Bucks offense sputtered, shooting 39.1 percent from the field, but their defense forced Chicago into a season-high 26 turnovers. Those giveaways led to 39 Milwaukee points, as five of Kidd's scorers finished in double-figures.
Dudley (13 points) equaled the output of Chicago's bench by himself, but 18 points from O.J Mayo and another 10 from Bayless helped provide stability as all five Milwaukee starters converted on four or fewer field goals.
Jimmy Butler was sensational for the fourth straight game, totaling a game-high 33 points (12-of-17 shooting, 5-of-7 from three) and seven rebounds in the loss. Rose, who turned things on in the first and fourth quarters, scrapped his way to 14 points (5-of-13 shooting), six assists and five rebounds.
The player to watch in Game 5 for Chicago will be Joakim Noah. He's yet to top six points in a single playoff game—scoring four on Saturday—and Chicago was outscored by a team-worst 23 points with him on the floor in Game 4.
When Milwaukee went with small-ball looks featuring Dudley at the 4, Noah was consistently out of position and a step slow on the perimeter. With the Bucks focused on pulling Noah away from the paint and neutralizing his rim-protecting abilities, look for Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau to make some key personnel adjustments as his team eyes a series victory.
Brooklyn's On the Board
Give the Brooklyn Nets credit: They aren't making things pretty by any means, but Lionel Hollins' club has found a way to disrupt the Atlanta Hawks' offensive rhythm.
Although they were renowned as one of the league's most efficient and selfless offenses during the regular season, Atlanta failed to crack 100 points for the third straight game. In the 91-83 Game 3 loss, Brooklyn ripped off an 18-0 run spanning portions of the third and fourth quarters. Combined with an eight-minute stretch that was devoid of a single Atlanta field-goal, the Nets inched closer to equalizing a series that's now 2-1 in the Hawks' favor.
In a futile offensive display, the Hawks shot 35.6 percent from the field and 20 percent from three as 50 of their 83 points came in the paint.
NBA.com provided a comprehensive breakdown of Atlanta's shoddy shooting:
Among Atlanta's inefficient offenders was the typically reliable Kyle Korver, who scored just two points on 1-of-8 shooting, including 0-of-5 from three. His final line snapped one of the league's most impressive individual streaks, according to ESPN Stats & Info:
The Nets were led by double-doubles from Brook Lopez (22 points, 13 rebounds) and Thaddeus Young (18 points, 11 rebounds), but they still couldn't top 39 percent shooting as a team.
With Game 4 slated for Monday evening, the Hawks need to rediscover the pace and space offense that propelled them into the Eastern Conference's top seed.
Through three games, the Hawks are hitting on 30.8 percent of their shots from distance, which is the worst mark among any team with a series lead.
Against a Brooklyn defense that's playing well beyond what regular season struggles suggested, the Hawks need to rediscover their identity—and fast.
Memphis Nears Sweep as Conley Goes Down
The Memphis Grizzlies seized a commanding 3-0 series lead over the Portland Trail Blazers, but it came at a steep cost.
Despite escaping with a 115-109 victory, Memphis lost point guard Mike Conley in the third quarter after an inadvertent elbow from C.J. McCollum sent him tumbling to the floor.
According to Grizzlies sideline reporter Rob Fischer, Conley (14 points, four assists) was ruled out for the rest of the game after McCollum’s elbow left his face worse for the wear:
With Beno Udrih already gimpy and out of action in Game 3 due to a sprained right ankle, Nick Calathes assumed primary ball-handling duties and finished with 13 points and three dimes in 27 minutes off the bench.
Marc Gasol carried the Grizzlies in Conley’s absence, totaling 25 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Zach Randolph (16 points) and Courtney Lee (20 points) also entered double-figures in the scoring column.
Postseason dings of any severity are to be taken seriously, but if the Grizzlies can pull off the sweep Monday night at Moda Center, Conley will be afforded maximum time to rest before a second-round series with the Warriors gets underway.
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