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Warriors take down The Process, win sixth straight game in blowout fashion

By

Kerry Crowley

/

OAKLAND–Process, meet light years.

On Saturday evening at Oracle Arena, two of the most talked-about and most entertaining franchises in the NBA squared off in a delightful display of what makes the league so special.

On one side, you had the Philadelphia 76ers, a team that tore apart its foundation in an attempt to push itself ahead of the rest of the league in a multi-year process. On the other side, you had the Golden State Warriors, an organization that’s claimed two of the last three NBA Championships, and prides itself on a franchise-wide philosophy that’s supposedly put the Warriors light years ahead of the rest of the league.

The result? A 135-114 Golden State victory that featured a fascinating contrast in styles both from an organizational and on-court standpoint. Though they entered as the heavy favorites, it took until the second half for the lightning quick Warriors to outrun the youthful, yet star-studded 76ers.

A microcosm for the disparity between the two franchises was the battle of the point guards, featuring two-time MVP Steph Curry and 6-foot-10 Ben Simmons. Though their matchup was much anticipated, it nearly never got going, as a Simmons screen forced Curry to exit the game less than 90 seconds in the first quarter.

Though Curry reentered the game in the first quarter, he needed a visit to the locker room in the second to ensure his knee was structurally sound and prepared for the rest of the game. By the time Curry was ready to reignite his battle with Simmons, a minor feud had already begun, as Warriors’ star Kevin Durant and outspoken trash-talker Joel Embiid exchanged words and received technical fouls under the Warriors’ hoop.

The episode between Embiid and Durant ratcheted up energy levels that were already high, and on the game’s very next possession, Embiid had a chance to make a statement and back up his challenge to Golden State. Instead, though, after Warriors’ reserve center JaVale McGee corralled a loose ball around mid-court, Embiid cleared out of the way of Philadelphia’s basket, allowing his fellow 7-footer to take flight and soar in for an emphatic dunk.

While McGee gave Golden State plenty of momentum, the 76ers’ offense challenged the Warriors’ defense with an active, pass-happy approach. Late in the second quarter, though, the Warriors were able to seize a lead when center Kevon Looney entered the game and derailed a 76ers’ possession and a Simmons take at the hoop. Looney’s block preceded a fast break opportunity for the Warriors, and when Philadelphia needed to choose between defending Curry and fellow sharpshooter Klay Thompson, the decision didn’t pan out in the 76ers’ favor.

For all the offensive prowess the Warriors possess, though, “The Process” is shaping up to provide an interesting NBA-case study. And the player who best represents “The Process,” is a case-study on his own. On a Golden State break, Embiid made sure that his play backed up his talk, as the largest player on the floor raced down the lane to swat away a Thompson dunk attempt late in the half.

After ending the first half on a 6-0 run, Golden State wiped out Philadelphia in the third quarter, winning the frame 36-21 thanks in large part to an offensive boost provided by reserve guard Nick Young. With Andre Iguodala resting on Saturday evening, Young and second-year guard Patrick McCaw had an opportunity to play extended minutes, and it was Young who caught fire in the third quarter with three three-pointers on three attempts.

The icing on the cake? That came early in the fourth quarter, when Golden State was already well on its way to its sixth straight blowout win. When Philadelphia began losing track of Golden State’s offensive weapons, point guard Shaun Livingston took advantage, tossing the ball behind his back to a wide open Thompson in the corner who hit an easy three that helped show just how far the process has to go.

Prior to the start of Saturday’s win, Golden State honored former Warriors’ power forward James Michael McAdoo, who arrived in town with the 76ers after signing a two-way contract with Philadelphia over the summer. McAdoo spent the first three seasons of his career with Golden State, and as he received his 2017 NBA Championship ring, he also received a warm ovation from the Oracle Arena crowd.

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