Steph Curry’s play is hiding a lot of Golden State’s flaws

Steph Curry lights it up on a Saturday night time in primetime although Mike Breen delivers an emphatic “Bang!” as the track record refrain is a acquainted scene. Curry is only 4 games into his most current comeback from his 2nd major injury of the season, but the Milwaukee Bucks offered a litmus examination for the Golden State Warriors at property. The Bucks have been the finest workforce in basketball since Jan. 23, and the Golden Condition demanded a measuring adhere to assess their development to.

In his postgame presser next their 125-116 win, Steve Kerr complimented Golden Condition for how they shut by conveying that they’d shown “championship stuff.” That phrase is a typical refrain from any person on the roster or coaching workers at any time Golden Point out provides a significant win. It’s akin to Bugs Bunny’s “top secret things” Area Jam placebo. Nonetheless, at this juncture in the year, it’s receiving tougher to feel all those words for everything other than motivational gobbledygook. Overall, Golden Point out even now executes like a borderline honor roll acquiring valedictorian hoopla.

Steph Curry hides all the Warriors’ warts

Saturday’s gain stored Golden State from plummeting off the cliff, but Curry is a learn illusionist, hiding the Warriors’ warts. For one, the road is their lethal flaw. At property, where they are 28-7, the Warriors can just take treatment of business enterprise. On the road, they’re 7-26. The 67 % break up between their house successful share (80 p.c) and absent (21.2 percent) would still be the next-worst in league record.

Curry’s photo voltaic flare led to 11 factors in the ultimate 1:51 that confused the Bucks in crunchtime and despatched the contest into overtime. It could have finished before if Draymond Inexperienced experienced an excess fifty percent-next to whip a go to Curry on the wing as a substitute of firing the potential game-successful shot himself. And in overtime, Curry fed off the crowd’s power to produce the coup de grâce.

Donte DiVincenzo loves playing against the workforce that drafted him, averaging 18. factors, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.5 helps in two clashes against the Bucks this year, but he just can’t be relied upon on the road. Also, Andrew Wiggins’ month-long absence for undisclosed particular causes is one more hurdle for Golden Point out and it doesn’t surface he’s on the quick monitor possibly.

And yet, Saturday’s get set the Warriors just 2.5 games back again of a top rated-4 seed. However, needing time beyond regulation to beat the East-foremost Bucks (who weren’t even suiting up a two-time MVP) casts a cloud close to the gain.

Just two nights previously, Golden Point out dropped their 3rd in a row to a Memphis Grizzlies team which is been spiraling without the need of Ja Morant in the lineup. On Saturday, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s absence loomed just as substantial. Milwaukee has been privileged to deal with the Nets and Magic in their first two games when Antetokounmpo rested a “sore hand,” but those people two squads ended up light function.

Can Golden Condition go the length this time?

A assertion victory in excess of the Giannis-less Bucks would have been a at ease, runaway victory. Rather, Golden State experienced to count on Milwaukee to squander the guide absent. Right after Jrue Vacation lost his dribble with 27 seconds remaining in regulation and the Bucks forward by 3, Curry took benefit of the prospect to knot it up at 111 with a triple. On the Bucks’ last possession of the fourth quarter, Curry presented textbook support defense, beating Vacation to the spot as he drove into the paint, leaping straight up with his arms outstretched to swat Holiday’s prospective match-successful floater.

In time beyond regulation, the Bucks lastly ran out of gas, but it was a victory that exemplifies the power of Milwaukee’s supporting cast.

It is one particular factor for Golden Point out to be off their peak in December, but it’s an additional for them to continue to be tinkering higher than the .500 threshold as the playoffs in close proximity to. Milwaukee was a get they required to continue being out of a perilous engage in-in event scenario, but remaining tests are nearing and Golden State is even now sitting down on the pass-fall short fence.