This is a continuation of the halftime recap of the Golden State Warriors at the Brooklyn Nets.
The Nets took a 57-51 lead into halftime.
3RD QUARTER: Ezeli Provides Some Life
After going 1-for-8 in the first half, Klay Thompson got a jumper to fall, at last, then a three-pointer after that, but Deron Williams answered back quickly with a three of his own.
Andrew Bogut‘s excellent play from the first half continued as he blocked a gathered attack by Mason Plumlee at the rim, even with Plumlee’s off-arm in Bogut’s face. Plumlee got the ball back but was bothered again by Bogut, missing way short.
But Stephen Curry, who had 3 personal fouls at the half, would pick up his 4th, guarding Markel Brown with too much body. Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr took Curry out, Steph shaking his head while sitting down.
Bogut would pick up his 3rd personal on an offensive charge shortly thereafter, and the majority of the bench unit, with Marreese Speights and Shaun Livingston, were back in together with the score 66-58, Nets, and 8:02 to play in the third.
After Andre Iguodala found Speights down low for an easy bucket and Livingston spun right baseline after a touchdown pass from Speights, the Warriors were down only 70-66 with 5:23 left and Brooklyn head coach Lionel Hollins called timeout.
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With 4:31 to play, Curry was back in for Thompson, down 72-66.
After just three-and-a-half minutes of play for Speights, Kerr also opted for Festus Ezeli, in for Speights, who had committed his third personal foul.
Ezeli was active, getting an offensive rebound on a pull-up, in-transition three by Curry, then getting fouled by Brook Lopez, hitting both free throws. That gave Festus 10 points and 7 rebounds.
He then got a two-handed putback slam as Curry went too hard off glass, keeping the Warriors within striking distance, 81-75, with 1:29 to go in the third. That gave the Dubs 24 second-chance points, indicating the hustle of the frontline, but also the subpar shooting of the guards on this particular night.
Williams would finish the quarter with 20 points scored for the game, getting a three-pointer over the outstretched arms of Livingston, but answered by an Iguodala in-transition layup as Curry pushed the ball ahead and bounced a pass with his left hand.
A Curry catch-and-shoot trey off a pick from the block with 11 seconds remaining trimmed the Nets’ lead to 86-80 heading into the fourth period.
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4TH QUARTER: Steph Almost Steals A Win
The Warriors didn’t let the Nets get too far as Iguodala started the final frame with a trey, but Lopez got a putback dunk, and-one, as Ezeli couldn’t recover after blocking Lopez the first time, and Barnes helped out too late.
But despite an Iguodala step-back jumper, a Curry three-pointer in early transition with Thompson running interference after Steph dribbled past halfcourt…
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…and a left-handed lay-in over the rim after scissoring through the traffic at the top of the key by Curry, the Warriors couldn’t stop Thaddeus Young.
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Young made a pivot post-up move with his strong left hand against Barnes in the left low block, then hit a three-pointer at the shotclock buzzer, assisted by Jarrett Jack, then another three-pointer on a trail in transition, assisted by Jack once more.
Young added an assist to Plumlee after that and Kerr called timeout to try and stop the bleeding, with the Warriors now down 99-92 with 8:08 to play.
Out of the timeout, it looked as if Golden State was about to fold tent with fatigue and go back to the Bay for a well-deserved long homestand, as Curry missed a three, Green rebounded it, found Thompson at the top for another three, but Klay missed it.
Then Thompson air-balled a right corner trey attempt and, after Curry made Jack fall to the ground on a cross-over from the top of the arc, Plumlee got a slam dunk on a fastbreak as Steph’s sling pass to Green underneath went straight into Young’s hands.
Things got really bleak as Jack answered a Green lefty layup with a triple from the left corner to make it 104-96, with the Nets shooting an uncharacteristic 10-for-18 from downtown. Then Thompson missed a right banker driving in and Bogut’s tip attempt of an offensive rebound landed in Brooklyn’s hands. Klay tried to drive the lane, but mishandled it, Curry got a steal anticipating a swing pass but missed the pull-up, and Thompson missed another trey from the left corner too hard after Iguodala got the rebound of Curry’s miss.
That left Klay with a 3-for-17 clip for the night, 1-for-9 from beyond the arc, as Williams swished a runner over Curry. Kerr called timeout with 3:59 remaining and the Nets up by ten, 106-96, but Kerr gave his stars one last chance before he would wave a white flag.
Out of the timeout, Green got the ball in the interior and found Curry for a three from the left side. The Warriors weren’t dead yet, down 106-99 with 3:47 to play. Curry then dribbled around the top and finally stepped back on Young to give Steph 21 points, now down just two possessions, 108-102, with 3:14 left.
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Golden State’s defensive intensity reached championship-caliber levels as Thompson blocked a Williams drive, Bogut blocked Plumlee, but Curry’s save of the ball going out of bounds baseline ended up in Jack’s hands. Still, Green blocked a Young attempt and it was off to the races.
Klay advanced the ball after Draymond’s swat, with Young helplessly diving for Thompson’s feet, perhaps unsafely. He didn’t come close to disrupting Thompson’s dribble, though, and Klay found Curry on the left wing.
Steph let Plumlee fly by, with Plumlee flailing his arms back to Curry’s shooting hand in a feeble attempt to defy the laws of physics, and Steph drained the trey.
Incredibly, the Warriors were down just 108-105 with as much as 2:23 to go, and Hollins called timeout.
The Golden State defense remained on-point as Iguodala forced Williams into a turnover, but Curry missed a triple from the left side, then Green’s one-handed putback from the opposite side went too hard. Barnes ended up fouling on the rebound of Green’s miss.
But Klay showed his All-NBA defensive caliber, getting a deflection on Williams’ drop pass to Plumlee on the pick-and-roll, even with Plumlee setting a solid screen on Thompson. Curry got the ball to Iguodala on the fast break, but as Williams got back on defense, Andre passed up what would have been a tough layup attempt and found a cutting Barnes, who was fouled by Williams trying to draw the charge.
Unfortunately for the Warriors, Barnes missed the first free throw, but made the second. The Warriors were down, 108-106, with 1:43 remaining.
Alan Anderson then missed a right corner three-point attempt and Lopez’s tip of the offensive rebound landed in Thompson’s hands. Curry came off of a cut from the block on the right below within the arc and Klay found him for a swish. That gave Steph 26 points and the first tie ball game since 16-16, at 108-108 with 1:09 to go.
On the ensuing possession by the Nets, Williams lost the ball, again to great one-on-one defense by Thompson, and Green closed in to smother Joe Johnson, who Williams managed to find at the last possible moment. Draymond’s long arms bothered Johnson and the ball went out of bounds. The referee gave the ball to Golden State.
However, the replay showed that Green touched the ball last and Brooklyn got possession with 50.6 seconds to play and with just 5 seconds on the shotclock. But Bogut fouled Lopez on the inbound as Lopez tried to drive on him with the right hand, and even though that was the first foul by the Warriors under two minutes, the shotclock reset to 14 for the Nets.
It was Curry’s turn to show off his All-NBA defense as he got a hand on Lopez’s pass, Bogut dove to disrupt Lopez’s advance to the hole, jarring the ball loose. Green got the ball and Golden State had the ball with the game tied and 36.9 seconds left.
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But Bogut found himself isolated on the left elbow against Lopez and did not take advantage of his “triple-threat” stance, looking to pass all the way. Curry was on the opposite side of the court, trying to come up to the deep elbow, and with Thompson in the way at the high post on the right side, Bogut launched a pass to Curry that had no chance. It was a line drive into the courtside seats.
Nets ball, 108-108, 20.6 seconds remaining.
Hollins called timeout, advancing the ball to the front court. Jack took the inbound, probed around with Lopez providing the high pick and, with Curry fighting through the pick and smothering him, got a jumper to fall — his trademark as was seen many times two years ago by Warriors fans.
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That gave Brooklyn a 110-108 lead with just 1.1 ticks to go.
After a Kerr timeout, Iguodala was there to inbound the ball on the left side. With Bogut running interference on the same side, Curry cut up, wasn’t open, then wheeled around down towards the left elbow. With no one else really open, Iguodala delivered the ball to Curry, and as Johnson closed in to help, Steph decided to avoid the contact, but the buzzer sounded before he could release the ball for a reverse layup.
So the Nets won, 110-108.
Curry scored 26 points on 8-for-16 shooting, 6-for-12 from downtown, with 7 assists. Bogut had 16 points, 8 rebounds. Green had 11 rebounds. Livingston had 11 points, 4 assists. Ezeli had 14 points, 8 rebounds. But Thompson had just 7 points to go along with 5 assists with that 3-for-17 from the field.
Lopez led the Nets with 26 points on 11-for-22 field and Williams added 22.
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