Without star point guard Steph Curry, the Golden State Warriors aren’t close to playing in peak form.
Without star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks are…better?
After Golden State raced out to a 14-point halftime advantage, the Bucks reeled off a 17-7 run with Antetokounmpo watching from the sidelines late in the third quarter to take an 82-80 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Milwaukee’s best stretch helped give the Bucks command of the game, but it wasn’t enough to fend off Kevin Durant, who once again carried the Warriors to a 108-94 win as he exploded with five straight points with under three minutes to play before assisting a Draymond Green three-pointer that helped put the Bucks away.
After falling in blowout fashion to the Los Angeles Clippers at Oracle Arena on Wednesday night, Golden State hit the road for the first contest of a five-game road trip on Friday. The Warriors will face the Toronto Raptors on Saturday and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday in a pair of high-profile matchups, but in the midst of a mistake-filled third quarter, it appeared as though Golden State forgot how dangerous the Bucks can be.
The absence of Curry barely hindered the Warriors during an 11-game stretch in December when he initially sprained his right ankle, as the team mastered a grind-it-out style and won nine games. However, after Curry re-aggravated his ankle at shootaround on Wednesday morning, Golden State has struggled in both attempts to put together a complete effort.
The Warriors’ matchup with the Bucks did start out on a promising note, as Golden State outscored Milwaukee by nine in a dominant first quarter effort that was led by Durant and reserve center Kevon Looney. A Milwaukee-area native returning to play in the Midwest, Looney was the first Warriors’ big man to come off the bench as he replaced center Zaza Pachulia. By the end of the first half, Looney ranked second on the team (behind Durant) with a plus-minus of +16 and had contributed six points, a pair of assists and four offensive rebounds.
Looney’s presence completely changed the offensive rhythm for Golden State, which also received a solid outing off the bench from reserve guard Nick Young. Young led all bench players with eight first quarter points off the bench, and he added to the aura of “Swaggy P” by channeling his inner Curry and drilling a 34-foot buzzer beater.
Following Milwaukee’s charge at the end of the third quarter, the game took a turn early in the fourth quarter thanks to the play of Durant and reserve forward David West. West’s energy off the bench has been a consistent theme for Golden State this season, and he helped the Warriors rebound after a slow third quarter.
Early in the fourth quarter, Warriors’ guard Klay Thompson took a hard spill and was berated by a fan underneath the basket. The fan was ultimately ejected after Thompson, West and Shaun Livingston complained to officials and arena security, and after that point, the Warriors rolled past the Bucks.