Warriors’ 37-point third quarter a silver lining in loss to Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors and Celtics brought us back to the 1990s during the first half of Golden State’s 110-88 loss to Boston. Going into halftime, the two teams combined for just 80 points, and the Warriors scored just 32.
It was their fewest points scored in any half this season. It also should be noted the Warriors lost both Steph Curry and Moses Moody to injuries in the second quarter that held them out the rest of the game against the NBA’s best defense.
Then, without their superstar and a rookie who has turned into a key rotation piece, the Warriors exploded for 37 points in the third quarter.
What was the difference?
Actually, what other choice did they have? This isn’t new to a team who now has the third-best record in the NBA and hasn’t whole all season long.
“I think just the sense of desperation that we felt,” Steve Kerr said after the loss. “The pace that we played with. Anytime you play a team that is that physical and that athletic, you have to play with pace. I thought in the first half we were walking the ball up the floor too often. And in the third quarter, the pace was much better and as a result we got better looks and started to knock some shots down.”
The Warriors played into the hands of the Celtics’ defense throughout the first half, doing whatever Boston wished for. That changed coming out of the tunnel. Draymond Green, as usual, was a big reason why.
In his second game back, Green’s minutes restriction was bumped up from 20 to 24. He finished with 22. But they again came off the bench.
However, with Curry out for the game with left foot soreness, Draymond began the second half starting along with Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson, Otto Porter Jr. and Kevon Looney. Green always pushes the pace when on the floor and his voice is an extra coach on the court which makes everything more cohesive and flow better.
There’s no guarantee Green starts Sunday against the San Antonio Spurs, but he will soon be back in the starting lineup, especially when the games really matter. Really, though, the third quarter belonged to Poole.
Through the first two quarters of the game, Poole scored two points and was a minus-19. He went 1-for-8 from the field and missed all four of his 3-point attempts. He also had two turnovers and three fouls. With Curry out and Thompson not exactly on fire, Poole took the game into his hands in the third.
He opened the frame with a 3-pointer, scored the Warriors’ first five points and eight of their first 10. Poole played the entire third quarter and put up 19 points and was a plus-6. He missed one shot on eight attempts and went 5-for-6 from 3-point range.
“I was really proud of Jordan,” Kerr said. “After a slow start for him — again, against a great defensive team — and Steph going out, us not shooting the ball well, for him to get going, get in a rhythm, attack … I thought he played a hell of a game, particularly in the second half to keep us in it.
“Against that team, in these circumstances, it was a great effort from Jordan. Very proud of him.”
Poole certainly is getting the attention of the right people. Kerr is priority No. 1. Draymond and Andre Iguodala aren’t too far behind. Those two took a moment during the loss as they found themselves in awe of Poole’s potential.
“I think he’s doing a great job, and I think he still has a long way to go,” Green said. “Which is exciting, because he’s very skilled, very talented and most importantly he works hard. I was just telling Andre on the bench, like, ‘That kid can be so good if he just takes the time to slow down and figure it out,’ which I think he will. The first thing Andre said was, ‘Man, you not lyin’.’
“And the crazy thing is, he has the work ethic to go with it. You run into a lot of guys in this league that don’t have the work ethic to figure it out. That’s the least of his worries.
“I think he’s doing an incredible job adapting. He’s gonna be really good for a long time for us as he continues to grow. … He’s figuring it out, and he’s gonna be good for a long time.”
At 22 years old, Poole found himself as the best player on a court which included Green, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. If Curry is out, and it’s almost a guarantee he at least can’t play Sunday, Poole will again have to be relied on more.
At this point, he’s used to that.
In a season that has been full of mystery for the third-year pro, Poole finally found something he can be consistent at besides making free throws: Scoring 20 points. He now has done that in eight straight games. Over that span, Poole is averaging 24.8 points per game while shooting 57.8 percent from the field and 53 percent from deep.
That’s absurd.
It also is a reality that Poole can get on these hot streaks and catch fire in games like he did during the third quarter Wednesday. Veterans are putting their trust in him, and teams have to game plan for him.
Another positive to take from the Warriors’ third-quarter flurry were the minutes of two-way player Quinndary Weatherspoon. After being the only Warrior who didn’t see any time in the first half, Weatherspoon played just under five minutes in the third quarter and was a plus-8. He made his only shot attempt and finished the three-point play by making his only free throw. Weatherspoon also grabbed three rebounds and had one assist in the third quarter.
He wound up playing over 15 minutes and came away with five rebounds.
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The Warriors came into Wednesday night already without Andrew Wiggins, Nemanja Bjelica, Andre Iguodala, Gary Payton II and James Wiseman. They lost Curry and Moody but then scored five more points in the third quarter than they did in the entire first half.
All that matters at this point are the medical reports of Curry and Moody. For as great as the rookie recently has been, let’s get one thing straight: The Warriors’ season rests on the health of Curry.
Still, there were plenty of positives and lessons to be learned from the third quarter of a loss where the final score was secondary.
