Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images
Instant Analysis: How The Warriors Survived To Earn A Clutch Win Against The Pistons
It was a fierce battle in Little Caesars Arena tonight as the Golden State Warriors tried to steal a win on the road against the red-hot Detroit Pistons. The Warriors, despite a rough scoring night from Stephen Curry, made out with a narrow three-point win (107-104) and moved to 19-18 on the season.
It took a while before both teams got going and the first quarter was close at 25-23 after the first 12 minutes. Eventually, the Warriors were able to pull away and build up a double-digit lead going into halftime. The Pistons did make a push in the fourth quarter but the Warriors were able to respond with some clutch plays that ultimately sealed the game.
Buddy Hield led the Warriors in scoring with 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists on 7-15 shooting. Stephen Curry had an off night by his standards with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists on 5-21 shooting. 4x champion Draymond Green contributed 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists on 3-9 shooting.
Meanwhile, for the Pistons, Cade Cunningham led all scorers with 32 points to go along with 8 assists and 6 rebounds in 40 minutes. Sharpshooting guard Malik Beasley dropped 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists on 8-21 shooting while swingman Tobias Harris totaled 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists on 6-8 shooting.
The Pistons came into this game as one of the hottest teams in the NBA and they were hoping to keep the momentum going against a legendary franchise. But tonight just wasn't their night, and the Warriors managed to shut them down until the fourth quarter when they pulled the game within reach. Of course, the Pistons couldn't complete the comeback thanks to several key factors that saved the Warriors from an embarrassing loss.
Young Core Stepped Up
The Warriors have been heavily investing in their future, and it was their younger players who picked up the slack tonight for Steph Curry (14.3% shooting from three). Team newcomer Buddy Hield was the team's leading scorer tonight (19 points) and his shooting from three preserved the floor spacing as Curry struggled to get it going.
Arguably the most impressive contributions came from 22-year-old Gui Santos, who had one of the best games of his career with 13 points and 5 rebounds off the bench. 24-year-old Trayce Jackson-Davis has been the Warriors' primary center this season and he turned in another good performance tonight with a 14-point, 10 rebound double-double in 26 minutes.
As more time progresses, it's becoming more and more clear that a new era is dawning for the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green can do less and less on their own, and the Warriors are having to rely more on their younger, less accomplished players to get the job done. If they want a better shot of moving up in the standings, they may have to carve out a bigger role for some of their rising young talent.
Six Warriors In Double Figures
The Warriors totaled 32 assists tonight thanks to an offense that involved heavy ball movement and coordination between the players. In normal circumstances, the Warriors might be expected to lose a game with Curry struggling and the team down several key role players (like Andrew Wiggins and Moses Moody).
But the team flashed their depth tonight with a well-balanced team win that saw six different players hit double-digit scoring, including Steph Curry, Buddy Hield, Dennis Schroder, Tracye Jackson-Davis, Lindy Waters III, and Gui Santos. Only two Warriors had a double-double in the game but everyone who got minutes scored at least one point for the team.
It remains to be seen if this play is sustainable for the supporting cast but it will make a massive difference if the role-players can step up like this regularly. Once Steph starts to play better, it might be all that the Warriors need to start a streak and move their way back into the upper end of the West standings.
Clutch Play Down The Stretch
The Warriors had control for most of the night, but a late-game run by the Pistons (led by Cade Cunningham) nearly jeopardized the win. If it wasn't for some key plays down the stretch, the game could have easily gone the other way and there would be a major sense of panic for the Warriors.
Specifically, it was veteran point guard Dennis Schroder who came through in the clutch. His aggressiveness kept the Pistons on their toes all night long and his shot-making in the final two minutes ensured that their lead was safe from the impossible comeback.
By all accounts, this was a game that the Warriors should have lost given how they collapsed down the stretch but with the impact of their elite-scoring veterans the Warriors were able to score enough to avoid taking what would have been one of their worst losses of the season.
In what has been a chaotic and tumultuous campaign for the Warriors, they desperately needed a win today to calm the storm and regain some traction in the West standings. Fortunately, they came through tonight despite several challenges and multiple factors that worked against their success. Now, their effort begins to keep the momentum going and build upon their latest road win.
Next on the schedule for the Warriors is a game against the Indiana Pacers, tomorrow, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Then, they play the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena at 7:30 PM EST before a showdown against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on January 15th (8:00 PM EST).
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