Warriors clean up worst of bad habits in dominant win over Hawks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors flew home from Los Angeles late Monday night, feeling the pain of defeat compounded by the fact that they had poisoned their own water.
They responded by purging the toxins Wednesday night with a 120-97 rout of the ragged Atlanta Hawks before 18,064 at Chase Center.
There were some sloppy moments in the second half, but it wasn’t really a game. Golden State raced out to a 21-point lead with 86 seconds left in the first quarter, increasing the lead to 31 and never letting the Hawks get closer than 13 in the remaining three quarters.
What was important to the Warriors – or at least it should be – is how they did it. They used the first half to reverse their worst tendencies from two nights ago, with one being an ongoing problem and the other episodic.
“I thought the first half was great. The first half was very aesthetically pleasing,” said coach Steve Kerr. “We let our guard down a little bit, especially late in the third quarter. The game got away from us a bit.
“But the energy and sharp play in the first half was great fun to watch. We just have to build on that.”
While it’s clear that the Hawks’ defense won’t pose the challenges that the Los Angeles Clippers presented at the Intuit Dome two nights ago, it was equally clear that Golden State can heal itself if properly motivated.
After missing 10 free throws (9 of 19, 47.4 percent) on Monday night — and failing to shoot 72 percent from the line in any of the last five games — the Warriors made 11 of their first 12 against Atlanta before they trailed badly in the second half, finishing 12 of 18.
“Guys have to keep working at it,” Kerr said. ‘It’s not something I’m going to harp on. The boys know they have to do the work themselves. We’ll be fine. We are going to turn that around.”
Two nights ago, the Clippers scored 31 of their 102 points thanks to Golden State’s 19 turnovers. It was the second straight game in which the Warriors offered their opponent 19 freebies.
They were much stingier on the Hawks, especially in the first half, with only five turnovers, on which Atlanta earned one free throw. The Warriors were indeed messier in the second half, with ten goals turning into six points.
“Make simple decisions. That’s something we’re going to emphasize this year,” Kerr said for perhaps the 50th time this season. “In the Clipper game we made some very poor decisions, especially in the first half, that put us behind the 8-ball.
“The decision-making was much better to start the game; we only had five goals at half-time. That diminished in the second half when I made some bad decisions, but to get that start was very important.”
Draymond Green, who spit six giveaways in 32 minutes against Los Angeles, worked through 28 minutes Wednesday with nine assists to offset his three turnovers. Meanwhile, he led the way for a defense that limited the Hawks to 33.3 percent shooting from the field, including 26.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Lindy Waters III, while unspectacular, gets a pass with 10 points, three rebounds and solid defense in his third straight start for De’Anthony Melton, who will undergo surgery on his left knee and was ruled out for the season.
Andrew Wiggins had a second straight impressive night, following a 22-point game in LA with a team-high 27 against Atlanta. Trayce Jackson-Davis posted his first double-double of the season, with 14 points and 11 rebounds in 22 minutes.
This was mostly about the Warriors taking the opportunity to make some repairs against an inferior side. Mission accomplished. They left the arena with an 11-3 record and sat atop the Western Conference.
While first place doesn’t mean much with the NBA season a week away from Thanksgiving, the Warriors are certainly encouraged by the lack of bad habits that could keep them on top for at least a few more days.
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