Brooklyn Nets hosted the Golden State Warriors at Barclays Center last night, and it did not end how the Nets fans would have liked. Warriors took hold of the game in the second quarter and just kept going at the juggler. The game was pretty much concluded in the third after the Warriors scored 35 points and held the Nets to 18.
Even as the 117-99 win was unexpected, that was not the most shocking event of the night. MVP chants filled the arena, but it was not for who you might be thinking.
Stephen Curry stepped to the free-throw line midway through the second quarter, and that is when the chants started. It was one thing to go on the road and win a basketball game, but to get so much love from the fans, that is indeed surprising.
Steph lived up to the hype, finishing the game with 37 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block while shooting 63.2% from the field. To no one’s surprise, the league’s best shooter turned on the heat once again, knocking down nine three-pointers in 14 attempts. Chef Curry now has 37 games where he made 9+ three-pointers, but no one else in the league has more than nine.
Andrew Wiggins spoke on the reception at Barclays in a post-game presser, stating that it did not feel like an away game:
“It’s amazing. Sometimes we go on the road, the away team, and they’re cheering for us. I guess that’s the perks of having Steph on your team.”
“It’s amazing. Sometimes we go on the road, the away team, and they’re cheering for us. I guess that’s the perks of having Steph on your team.”
Andrew Wiggins on the crowd at Barclays 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/izJKSmTwWA
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) November 17, 2021
Kevin Durant recently spoke on how he is not buying into the hype surrounding the game as it is just a regular-season game. But many will reference this game down the line and might have the Warriors as the championship favorites right now.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr believes Kevin Durant and Curry are the two best players in the league right now, but only one truly put together a performance worthy of MVP status. Durant was underwhelming in the fixture, registering 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists while shooting 31.6% from the field. Much of that poor shooting can be credited to Draymond Green’s defense.
The next time both teams will meet will be late in January 2022. By then, the Warriors should be back to full strength with the return of Klay Thompson.
