Friday NBA Roundup: Golden State Warriors Learning Wins Record Isn't a Formality
That just happened.
The Boston Celtics ended the Golden State Warriors' 54-game home winning streak Friday night, emerging from Oracle Arena with a gutsy, if wholly unpredictable, 109-106 victory.
By enduring this end to one historical pursuit—the quest for an undefeated regular season at home—the Warriors must now realize the fragility of another: Their trek toward 73 wins and NBA immortality is not a given.
Not anymore. Not after this loss to the Celtics.
Golden State must now win five of its final six games to surpass the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' record 72 victories, so yes, this letdown matters a whole lot, per ESPN Stats & Info:
The Warriors' chances of reaching 73 wins is essentially a coin toss.
This development, in many ways, was a long time coming, if not overdue. As Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes wrote after the Warriors bested the Utah Jazz on Wednesday without actually besting them:
"Up front: The Warriors shouldn't have beaten the Jazz. Not just because of the reasons already mentioned, but because Utah flat outplayed them for the majority of the contest. Golden State was customarily sloppy, turning the ball over 18 times. And the absences of Andre Iguodala and Festus Ezeli meant the Dubs had to lean on the likes of Ian Clark and Anderson Varejao.
"
It was a similar story Friday night.
The Warriors missed Iguodala's defense, especially when running small. The Celtics were a plus-18 in the paint and plus-three on the offensive glass. They coaxed the Warriors into mistakes and exploited unforced errors to the tune of 22 turnovers. They pressured the ball. They combatted Golden State's small ball with undersized lineups of their own.
More importantly, the Celtics had an answer for each Warriors run and every shift in momentum.
When Stephen Curry detonated 21 points in the third quarter on 6-of-6 shooting from three-point land, the Celts stayed true to their defensive schemes. They didn't panic or fold. They didn't even bend. Instead, they heeded the advice of head coach Brad Stevens, as relayed by Jared Wade of FanSided:
It didn't matter that Draymond Green was all over the place in the fourth quarter, amassing eight points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block in the final frame alone. It didn't matter that the Warriors kept hitting big shots down the stretch, or that they were a plus-36 from deep on the night. These Celtics overwhelmed the Warriors.
Golden State shot nearly 50 percent on contested shots, but the percentages didn't matter. Boston fought fire with flames of its own, per SI.com's Jeremy Woo:
"The Celtics have yet to allow more than two unanswered Warriors field goals in this game.
— Jeremy Woo (@Jeremy_Woo) April 2, 2016"
Isaiah Thomas drove-and-kicked his way to 22 points and six assists. Evan Turner bullied his way to 21 points, five assists and three steals. Jared Sullinger, predominantly used as a center, fought his way to 20 points, 12 rebounds and three assists.
The Warriors were still right there at the end. They aren't going to lose many games when Curry buries eight three-pointers and goes for 29 points and six assists. Nor are they going to drop games in which they sink 20 triples as a team. They are, in fact, just the second squad to ever lose while making at least 20 treys.
Unfortunately, Curry was responsible for nine of their 22 turnovers, and both Brandon Rush and Green coughed up the ball on key possessions. If those sets go a different way, Golden State probably wins.
But the Warriors didn't win. And now, as long as they're still bent on chasing 73 wins, they can't really afford to not win.
Two of their final six tilts come against the San Antonio Spurs. It's unclear whether head coach Gregg Popovich will play all of his key guys during those matchups, but the Spurs, at full strength, have already beaten the Warriors once.
Same goes for the Portland Trail Blazers. Two games against the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies and one versus the Minnesota Timberwolves should be automatic wins, but Golden State has lost to noticeably inferior opponents before. (Los Angeles Lakers, anyone?)
Which isn't to say the champs will lose twice more, or that they'll even lose again. They have the talent necessary to comfortably reach 73 wins. Losses, like this one against the Celtics, happen.
And, in the end, maybe this is exactly what the Warriors needed—the added push and motivation that only comes with an involuntary sense of urgency.
Cleveland's Not-So-Great Escape
Twenty-one-point leads in the first half aren't all they're cracked up to be. Just ask the Cleveland Cavaliers, who nearly blew such an edge during their 110-108 overtime win against the Atlanta Hawks.
Cleveland was primed to coast toward an easy victory after hanging 55 first-half points on what has been the league's best defense since the All-Star break. But the Hawks came out to play during the latter half of regulation.
Atlanta smothered the Cavaliers on the three-point line and held Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and J.R. Smith to a combined 2-of-17 shooting, putting itself in position to win during the final seconds of the fourth quarter.
But Jeff Teague couldn't get a shot off to end regulation, and Irving pumped in eight points during the extra period, five of which came from the foul line. Al Horford missed a potential game-winning above-the-break three in the final seconds, and Cleveland escaped Atlanta with a win.
LeBron James came one assist shy of a triple-double while battling perimeter-shooting warts, finishing with 29 points, 16 rebounds, nine dimes, three steals, one block and a reminder that old(er) men can jump:
Still, seeing James top 44 minutes in a game the Cavaliers should have wrapped up by halftime is far from ideal. They are supposed to be in rest-and-relaxation mode ahead of the postseason, and 40-minute outings from both James and Irving run counter to that.
This game did nothing to quell concerns that this might be the year James' squad meets its maker before the NBA Finals. Atlanta was, in a way, validated in this loss, proving that suffocating defensive stands are enough to rattle Cleveland.
Irving claimed the Cavaliers are, per ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin, "still the team to beat." While true on some level, at least in the East, they're playing like a team that can be beaten. And that's something the Cavaliers must address, lest they become wholly reliant on escapes like this fueling an NBA Finals bid.
The Hornets Are Coming...for Home-Court Advantage
Yes, it was just the Philadelphia 76ers. And sure, those same Sixers were without Richaun Holmes, Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor. But the Charlotte Hornets won't be making any apologies for their 100-91 victory Friday night.
Kemba Walker piled on 27 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and one steal, reaching the free-throw line at will. Nicolas Batum pitched in 19 points, seven assists and four rebounds. Marvin Williams did—well, Marvin Williams did this:
Charlotte is now on course to win 48 games for the first time since 1999-00 and remains in pursuit of home-court advantage through at least the first round of the playoffs. Each of the Hawks, Celtics and Miami Heat can say the same, but Charlotte will enjoy an easier schedule than Atlanta and Miami to close out the season.
The Hornets weren't even supposed to be here, fighting for a No. 3 or No. 4 seed. That they have their hat in this ring at all is cause for confetti-charged celebration.
On a totally unrelated note, the Sixers officially have more pingpong balls than you, per Derek Bodner of Philly Mag:
You know how this ends: Philly will win the draft lottery for the first time of the Sam Hinkie era, select LSU's Ben Simmons at No. 1 and enter the dog days of summer with a frontcourt logjam for the ages.
Thank You, Me7o, RoLo and Jose
Once it became apparent New York Knicks interim head coach Kurt Rambis wasn't about that developing-youngsters life, some of the team's veterans took matters into their own hands, per Jonah Ballow of Knicks.com:
Rambis acquiesce during New York's 105-91 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. Rookie Jerian Grant dropped 14 points, four assists and one block while logging a season-high 29 minutes. The newly healthy Cleanthony Early saw just over 23 minutes, compiling a tidy seven points, six rebounds and three assists.
Derrick Williams did that thing where he makes you believe in him. He exploded for 16 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the three-point line. Langston Galloway paced New York with 18 points, six rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one block. He too was lights out from beyond the arc, drilling four of his six deep-ball attempts.
Even though the Knicks didn't pull away until the waning minutes of the fourth quarter, the Nets could never put together a complete run. Wayne Ellington (3-of-13), Sean Kilpatrick (7-of-20) and Brook Lopez (7-of-20) all turned in abysmal shooting performances, and Brooklyn couldn't buy a basket from long range, converting just four of its 24 attempts.
This Knicks win means these two split their season series with two victories apiece, so we'll have to wait until next year for the sad, sorry, uninteresting battle for New York to yield a champion.
In the meantime, Early, Grant and even Galloway should probably take Carmelo Anthony, Jose Calderon and Robin Lopez out for a beer. Or at least some fried jalapeno poppers. The kiddies wouldn't be enjoying this extra spin without them.
It Ain't Over 'Til J.J. Barea Says So
For a seven-word summation of the Dallas Mavericks' 98-89 road victory at the expense of the Detroit Pistons, we turn to ESPN.com's Zach Lowe:
Detroit doesn't share his enthusiasm. Barea exploded for 29 points and three assists, because this is 2016, and Barea can play like an MVP candidate whenever he feels like it. He drove. He dished. He shot. Dallas, in turn, didn't even slightly feel the absences of Raymond Felton and Deron Williams.
Dirk Nowitzki broke out of his shooting slump. Sort of. He tallied 19 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the floor, exploiting the Pistons with his usual dose of pump fakes, fadeaways and high-arcing rainbows that leave the view of your television screen for what feels like forever.
It's a huge win for the Mavericks, who are now tied for seventh with the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference and one game ahead of the Houston Rockets.
The Pistons, meanwhile, wasted a fantastic effort from Marcus Morris. He finished with 31 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, two blocks, one steal and a crossover on a living legend:
Only a half-game now separates the seventh-place Pistons from the eighth-place Indiana Pacers. If they're going to eschew a first-round date with the Cavaliers, they'll need people other than Tobias Harris (6-of-13) and Morris to start hitting shots.
Bucks Are Magic
After squandering a 14-point lead, the Milwaukee Bucks were able to grind out a 113-110 win over the Orlando Magic—mostly because, on this night, the word "lose" was not in Giannis Antetokounmpo's or Jabari Parker's vocabulary.
Antetokounmpo registered a another triple-double, his fifth of the season, with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. And because that apparently wasn't enough, the 6'11" star added two steals and three blocks. If you're wondering whether five triple-doubles is a lot for someone who can barely order his own cotton candy daiquiris, the answer is yes, according to ESPN Stats & Info:
Parker was absolutely sensational for Milwaukee as well. He pumped in 26 points, grabbed seven boards, dished out five assists and delivered one viral Vine:
Someone is going to list Dewayne Dedmon as "deceased" on his Wikipedia page, aren't they?
Wins like this—in which the Bucks also get complete offensive performances from Tyler Ennis, Khris Middleton and Greg Monroe—can get you excited for the future in Milwaukee. Then again, all of last season incited excitement in Milwaukee, and the Bucks are responding with a sub-35-win campaign.
Even so, it's difficult to suppress optimism when Antetokounmpo is playing like someone injected Magic Johnson's court vision and Kevin Durant's graceful explosion.
Toronto Heeds Its Wake-Up Call
The Toronto Raptors almost had some 'splaining to do.
A beyond short-handed Grizzlies team used a 30-point second quarter to put Toronto in a double-digit hole. Three-point shooting kept the Raptors within striking distance, plus blitzing Memphis' defense for 29 points in the third frame en route to a too-close-for-comfort 99-95 victory.
DeMar DeRozan led all scorers with 27 points, and Jonas Valanciunas, in addition to finishing with 11 points and 14 boards, set a new career high with seven blocks. Kyle Lowry battled turnover issues (five) to close with 22 points, two assists and one on-camera butt-bump, per Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star:
It was Norman Powell, though, who stole the show. Yes, Norman Powell. He was the Raptors' best and, at times, only playmaker. He doled out five assists to go along with his 14 points, four rebounds, two steals and one block. Though he coughed up the rock four times, Powell didn't miss a shot, finishing 4-of-4 from the field, including 2-of-2 from long distance and 1-of-1 on two-handed highlight stuffs:
These pesky Raptors remain 2.5 games behind the East's first-place Cavaliers with seven tilts to go. The chances of them usurping Cleveland this late aren't good, and almost-losses to injury-ravaged groups, like Memphis, don't instill much confidence.
But hey, as long as the Raptors have Norman "Remember My Name" Powell to bridge the gap between their wake-up calls and states of inertia, anything's possible.
Miami Is a Survivor
Building a 24-point lead almost wasn't enough for the Heat to hold off the DeMarcus Cousins-less Sacramento Kings. But they still managed to carve out a 112-106 win and reclaim the East's No. 3 playoff seed in process.
And you know what? Miami has Gerald Green to thank. Nope, this is not a drill, as Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel acknowledged:
Green torched the Kings defense for 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting, including a 15-point first quarter that set the tone for what should have been an easy victory.
The Heat, for the record, do not have the luxury of coasting now. They are still in a virtual tie for third place with the Hawks and Hornets and will need to put a few more Ws under their belt before resting easy.
Utah Has No Sympathy for Houston
It looks like the Houston Rockets are most definitely, without question, going to the playoffs.
April Fools!
With a 98-85 drubbing of the Timberwolves, the Jazz, along with the Mavericks, are now a full game ahead of Houston in the Western Conference standings.
Solid offensive lines from Gordon Hayward (22 points, three assists), Rodney Hood (17 points), Trey Lyles (18 points) and Shelvin Mack (16 points, five assists) allowed the Jazz to stave off each of the Timberwolves' miniature runs. Rudy Gobert did his part too, both in expected and unexpected fashions, per Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey and Basketball Insiders' Ben Dowsett:
All Utah must do now is hold off Houston and it'll earn the right to be swept by Golden State or San Antonio in the first round of the playoffs. Here's hoping Gobert keeps hitting these unanticipated mid-range jumpers.
Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com and accurate leading into April 1 games.
Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @danfavale.
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