The Golden State Warriors notched their third straight win Thursday night, beating the Brooklyn Nets 121-119 at Barclays Center. The Nets seemed headed to victory when they led 27-5 midway through the first quarter, but the Warriors managed to turn the tide, thanks to one Stephen Curry.
Curry finished with 40 points (12-20 FG), four rebounds, and four assists against the Nets. The 36-year-old drilled an incredible turnaround three-pointer from about 40 feet just before halftime and then took over in the second half. Curry also got a lot of help from Jimmy Butler, who had 25 points (7-13 FG), two rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Gary Payton II and Quentin Post chipped in with 16 and 10 points off the bench, respectively, to help the Warriors secure an unlikely win.
For the Nets, Cam Johnson had 24 points (8-15 FG), six rebounds, four assists, and one steal, while Cam Thomas put up 23 points (8-18 FG), three rebounds, and seven assists. Big man Nic Claxton impressed too, as he nearly had a triple-double, recording eight points (4-7 FG), nine rebounds, 10 assists, two steals, and two blocks.
Their efforts were ultimately in vain, though, as the Warriors sneaked away with the win. Here’s a look at how they managed to continue on their winning ways and improve to 35-28 this season.
A Stephen Curry Masterclass
Curry has been on fire ever since Butler arrived, and he torched the Nets here. The 11-time All-Star had 16 points at halftime, and his last points of the half were memorable, to say the least.
STEPH CURRY UNBELIEVABLE 3. 😱😱😱
REPEATING… SIMPLY UNBELIEVABLE. pic.twitter.com/TRMy4ikzeU
— NBA (@NBA) March 7, 2025
That three by Curry meant the Warriors had cut down a 22-point Nets lead to five at halftime. The tide had turned, and, unfortunately for the hosts, this was a sign of things to come.
Curry went on to score 24 points in the second half as he sliced and diced that Nets defense. The two-time MVP made some big shots and free throws down the stretch to ensure the Warriors came away with the win.
The arrival of Butler has really allowed Curry to start dominating down the stretch in these games. Teams can no longer just key in on him, and he’s going off as a result.
Curry has put to bed all the talk about his supposed decline in some style with these recent performances. He’s averaged 29.1 points on 51.4% shooting from the field in his last 10 games and looks to be back to his very best.
The Warriors Bench Steps Up
Curry and Butler combining for 65 points against the Nets was a big reason why the Warriors won, but the bench deserves a lot of credit for this result, too. With Brandin Podziemski exiting in the first minute due to a back issue, the reserves had to step up, and they did, with 39 points.
Payton was the one who impressed the most off the bench with 16 points (7-12 FG), nine rebounds, and one assist. Post, meanwhile, continued his recent good play with 10 points (4-8 FG), seven rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.
The only member of the Warriors bench unit to struggle was Buddy Hield, who had zero points and went 0-8 from the field. Hield continues to frustrate as he blows hot and cold, and it’s why he’s now a reserve and not a starter.
The Warriors Struggle Defensively
There was a lot to like about the Warriors offensively here. They put up 121 points and recorded 31 assists, but the defense wasn’t up to par. They allowed a rebuilding Nets team to go 44-87 (50.6%) from the field and 15-33 (45.5%) from beyond the arc.
Considering Butler and Draymond Green both played, you wouldn’t expect a team like the Nets to have so much success offensively against the Warriors. That defensive display nearly cost them this game, and they’ll have to be much better moving forward.
Defense hasn’t really been a problem for the Warriors during this recent good stretch, as they have allowed their opponents to shoot just 40.0% from the field in their last 10 games. So, you’d write this off as an aberration for now, but it’ll be interesting to see if this becomes a trend moving forward.
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