NBA: Stephen Curry eclipses triple-doubles from Castle-Wembanyama duo as Warriors beat Spurs
Down 16 points in the second quarter agasint the Spurs, the Warriors reversed the trend thanks to Stephen Curry (46 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) and rediscovered defence (125-120).
Down 16 points in the second quarter, the Golden State Warriors reversed the trend thanks to Stephen Curry (46 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists), Jimmy Butler (28 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds) and rediscovered defence (125-120). Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle finished with triple-doubles.
With a “new look” starting five where Moses Moody (19 points) and Will Richard replace Quinten Post and Jonathan Kuminga, the Warriors were keen to make amends for their non-show the previous day against Oklahoma City Thunder. However, it was Victor Wembanyama’s teammates (31 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists) who took the lead thanks to long-distance accuracy from Harrison Barnes and Devin Vassell (19-11).
Wemby-Castle duo start strongly
Whilst Stephon Castle (23 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds) scored seven straight points, it was San Antonio’s defence that hurt Golden State. Against the Wemby scarecrow, the Warriors took 18 of their 22 three-point attempts in the first quarter, and only made four. They remained silent during the final five minutes of the first quarter to find themselves at -14 (28-14).
Wembanyama started the second half with nine straight points, but Moses Moody’s accuracy, author of three three-pointers, allowed the Warriors to remain in ambush (46-38). Stephon Castle then took matters into his own hands: he attacked the paint and sent Luke Cornet (12 points) to the alley-oop three times then finished at the rim to put the Spurs at +16 (56-40).
Stephen Curry catches fire
Almost knocked out standing, the Dubs reacted in the best way. Their defence muzzled San Antonio during the final three minutes of the half, and the Stephen Curry-Jimmy Butler duo brought them back under the ten-point mark (56-49).
The two stars began the third quarter with the same energy. Two three-pointers from Curry and one from Butler finished bringing the Warriors back into contention (63-60). Wemby and Castle struggled more against Draymond Green and a suddenly much more rigorous Golden State defence, and 22 points in the period from a Stephen Curry on cloud nine even gave them the advantage (74-73). Steve Kerr then decided to rest his star, and Jimmy Butler took over to lead a 12-2 run that put the Warriors up by 10 (92-82).
Wemby throws everything at it
It was Victor Wembanyama who awakened the Spurs. He launched a 7-0 run that put pressure on Golden State but the two teams traded blows. Al Horford and Will Richard hit from distance, Wemby and Harrison Barnes too. Whilst De’Aaron Fox struggled, Curry and Brandin Podziemski kept the Warriors in control (107-99).
As Stephen Curry passed the 40-point mark, Wemby then threw all his forces into battle to bring his team back. Three-pointers, blocks, assists, offensive rebounds, baskets in the paint. The Frenchman showed his entire repertoire to keep the Spurs in contention with three minutes to play (112-108). With all the defence concentrated on Curry, Jimmy Butler alone for a three-pointer and Gary Payton II alone at the rim punished San Antonio to regain a nine-point lead and secure their finest victory of the season. The two teams will face each other again in the night from Friday to Saturday for the NBA Cup.
Key takeaways
Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler lead the pack. Despite his 5/16 from three-point range, Stephen Curry finished the match at over 50 percent shooting. Like his team, he abused long-distance shooting early in the match before deciding to attack the Spurs’ defence (8/9 from two-point range, 15/16 from free throws). He scored 22 of his 44 points in the third quarter to reverse the trend. Jimmy Butler somewhat did a Stephen Curry. He finished the encounter at 5/7 from distance and was excellent in creation. Special mention to Moses Moody who produced a complete match as a starter.
Dazzling potential of Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle. Two triple-doubles despite defeat, the two young Spurs will terrorise the NBA for many years. They form a two-engine machine that powers San Antonio. They dominated their subject in the first half, before both experiencing an air pocket in the third quarter. Wemby scored 14 of his 31 points in the final quarter but it was not enough. Well defended by Draymond Green, the Frenchman also committed eight turnovers.
De’Aaron Fox and Jonathan Kuminga transparent. For his third match of the season, Fox never managed to find his rhythm or his place in the Spurs’ attack. He turned in a very pale performance (13 points on 5/14 shooting and six turnovers) and a response will be expected in the next match. For Jonathan Kuminga, the situation is different. Excellent during the first matches of the season, he has been in freefall for three weeks. Tonight, he lost his starting place and was a shadow of himself in the first half. Timid and hesitant, Steve Kerr preferred Gary Payton II in the second half and the coach’s decision proved right as GP2 was useful after the break. We will see how Kuminga responds on Friday and during the end of Golden State’s road trip. The JK saga continues.
This article was originally published on Basket USA.
