Curry Reclaims Scoring Title Lead As Warriors Inch Closer to the Playoffs
There are nights where it feels like Stephen Curry could score 40 with his eyes closed, and tonight was one of those nights. Reclaiming his spot as the NBA’s scoring leader, putting the fear of God into future playoff opponents and making 10 or more three-pointers in a game for the 22nd time in his career, Steph led the Dubs to a monster 136-97 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder Saturday night. Here are some key takeaways:
Stephen Curry’s ultra-efficient, ultra-lethal scoring performance. After Bradley Beal scored 50 points against the Pacers, Steph needed at least 30 points to take the lead in the NBA’s scoring-leader race. Steph almost did that in the first quarter (!!) and went on to score 49 points in 29 minutes on 54/52/100 shooting splits. This is exactly the reason no team wants to see this man in the playoffs.
Draymond Green’s all-around game. Draymond played excellent against the Thunder, notching 15 points, including three 3-pointers, 13 assists and 2 steals. It's no secret that the Warriors are better when Draymond scores. In fact, the Warriors are 15-7 this season when Draymond has more than 8 points. He has looked all the way locked in as of late, and the Warriors will need Draymond’s full arsenal if they want to close the year out strong and make the playoffs.
Andrew Wiggins’ steady production. It was quiet, as it is almost every game, but Wiggins scored 18 points and was a +30 against the Thunder. Over the season, Wiggins has arguably been the Warriors most consistent player. He is averaging career-highs in shooting percentage, three-point percentage and blocks and hasn't missed a game all year. There’s no denying that Wiggins has been an instrumental part to the Warriors success.
As it stands, the Warriors claim sole possession of the 8th-seed in the Western Conference and would face the Lakers in a play-in game, which would leave NBA leadership drooling over the potential TV ratings and fans buzzing at the potential matchup. The Warriors are only a half-game ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies, though, so they will still need to be locked in over the final 4 games of the season to ensure their fate of at least making it to a play-in game.
The game against the Thunder was a big one, as the starters were able to rest during the 4th quarter. Since the Warriors’ lineup has been thin due to injuries and illnesses, an 8-man rotation won’t maintain fresh legs forever. For the Warriors to make some noise in the playoffs, they’ll have to be fresh and healthy, so the more easy wins, the better!
Monday night’s game against the Jazz is a big one and hopefully it will result in a big, resounding Warriors win, so make sure to tune in!