NBA
Warriors Prepare for the Spurs After Defeating the Lakers 115-101 In Prime Time
The Warriors took on the Lakers this past Saturday in prime time. To the surprise of many, Lebron James did not play due to load management. Klay Thompson was a game-time decision. He returned after missing Thursday’s home loss against the Sixers due to illness. Several fans expected a lopsided matchup between these two teams. Well, the Lakers had other plans in mind.
The Warriors came out the gates with a strong start. Golden State held the lead until halftime. However, the third quarter was a different story. The Lakers made their presence known. The shorthanded Lakers brought an onslaught which led to a 10 point lead! In the fourth quarter, Stephen Curry snapped out of his cold streak of going 0-of-8 with field goals. He finished strong by hitting 2 three-pointers and scoring 14 points in the process. The end result was the Warriors picking up another win on their home court, defeating the Lakers 115-101. The Warriors move to 37-15 and remain at the top of the Western Conference.
The Dunk Heard Around The World
A large part of the reason things turned around for the Warriors was the dunk heard around the world. In the third quarter, DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins was the benefactor of a Kevin Durant assist. Kyle Kuzma was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Cousins smelled blood in the water and went in for the kill. Kuzma’s punishment was being put on a poster via a vicious one-handed assault on the rim courtesy of “The Boogieman.” This helped to fire up the home crowd at Oracle. Most importantly, this helped swing the momentum in the Warriors favor.
Spur of The Moment
The Warriors have three days off to rest and recharge their batteries. Then a familiar Western Conference foe will head to town for a shootout on Wednesday. The last time these two dueled was on the Spurs home court last November. The Spurs got the best of the Warriors. However, Draymond Green nor Stephen Curry were active the last time around. This time things will be much different. Not only will the Warriors be at 100 percent, but they have additional firepower in the form of a 6’11” 269 pound Demarcus Cousins.
Key Match-Ups
The Spurs are currently on a five-game win streak. They have a chance to make it six with a victory over the up and coming Sacramento Kings this evening. Two of the key matchups to look for will be at the shooting guard and center position. Klay Thompson will have his hands full against the recently snubbed all-star DeMar DeRozan. DeRozan matches well with Klay in both size and stature. DeRozan is averaging 21 points per game this season. Expect him to be playing with a chip on his shoulder.
The other pairing to look out for will be the clash between these teams two big men. This will be the first meeting between LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMarcus Cousins (in a Warriors uniform). Expect for an intense encounter between these two imposing individuals. Cousins was in full on enforcer mode Saturday evening against the Lakers. When he wasn’t shoving an opposing player, he was standing over another staring them down. Do not expect him to bring things down a notch as he will try to match Aldridge (21.1 points per game) point for point and rebound for rebound. Will the Warriors be able to earn their second win in a row at home? Or will the Spurs ride off into the sunset pulling off this upset on the road? Tune in to find out!
Written by Todd Smith
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Photo Credit James Anderson via Flickr
