SAN FRANCISCO – After losing Stephen Curry six hours before tipoff on Tuesday night and Draymond Green and Klay Thompson two minutes after tipoff, the Warriors need to find joy this season. I found it.
Once the saltiness washed away, Golden State’s grit bubbled to the surface, reaching a level not seen in the previous 11 games.
It wasn’t enough to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 104-101 come-from-behind victory in an in-season tournament game at Chase Center, but it showed what’s possible for the Warriors when passion and pride meet. It was revealed.
“To win in the NBA, obviously you have to have talent,” coach Steve Kerr said. “But there has to be energy. Something has to be worked out in terms of life, in terms of joy, in terms of energy, in terms of competitiveness.
“And that’s what I saw with the whole group tonight.”
It was certainly a more active bunch of Warriors than we’ve seen for most of the season. Other than Curry, the Warriors were pretty much terrible offensively. The defense has shown varying degrees of mediocrity. On Sunday, the Warriors owned the Timberwolves at Chase Center with Steph in attendance, but now it’s a rematch at Chase without Steph.
If that wasn’t scary enough, Thompson and Green, along with Minnesota forward Jaden McDaniels, were ejected within the first two minutes before either team scored. Thompson tangled with McDaniels, and Green used a chokehold to pull Rudy Gobert away from Clay. It was the first time since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976 that three starters were thrown in a scoreless game.
With their entire four-ring core unavailable, the Warriors were doomed.
Exceptionally, the weak, now in an exorbitant position, refused to accept such a fate.
After being ejected with 10 minutes, 17 seconds left in the first quarter, the Warriors showed guts and courage that endeared them to the packed arena. Two ties and five lead changes in the final five minutes had the crowd on their feet.
“It was a great performance by our players,” Kerr said. “To be so short-sighted and to fight and compete like them. It was beautiful to watch.”
Andrew Wiggins was off for the first three weeks of the season, and although he didn’t shoot well, he showed signs of rejuvenation, even barking at the referees. Chris Paul and Dario Saric went about their duties with the relative composure of veterans, providing stability with the odd rotation needed by the situation.
Then rookie Brandin Podzemski came off the bench and delivered a star performance that exploded fan club membership and reaffirmed Curry and Kerr’s “cocky” reputations.
Podzemski, whose demeanor fits the profile of a Grit Gang leader, scored a team-high 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting and added seven rebounds and five assists for a team-high plus-11. He played a team-high 39 minutes because Coach Kerr couldn’t justify taking him off the floor.
“I thought I’d have some time tonight,” he said. “I never thought I would turn 39.”
Although Golden State trailed (44.4 percent to 41.6), it won the rebound battle (46-42) and held a close 36-34 lead in points in the paint, one of the team’s most glaring weaknesses this season. It was one.
That was enough to build a 12-point lead late in the third quarter, but the Warriors trailed 28-18 in the fourth.
“We played well,” Paul said. “We played hard, but it just wasn’t enough.”
The list will be reduced in the future. Curry may injure her knee and she will be out indefinitely. Green is expected to be suspended. Thompson is the only one back Thursday and should be ready for the next game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
He will be joining a group that wants to bring the heat.
All things considered, this was an overall performance that gave Kerr a lot to ponder. And this is a great script for the Warriors over the final 70 games, should they choose to follow it.
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