The Golden State Warriors’ plan, this time, was to make Phoenix
point guard Steve Nash a scorer. To prevent everyone else from
having a great game and make Nash beat the Warriors on his own,
that was the goal. Didn’t work. Nash finished with 18 points and 11
assists, both game-highs. The Warriors were destroyed Thursday
night in Phoenix, even worse than the 112-88 score might
indicate.
PHOENIX
The Golden State Warriors’ plan, this time, was to make Phoenix point guard Steve Nash a scorer. To prevent everyone else from having a great game and make Nash beat the Warriors on his own, that was the goal.
Didn’t work. Nash finished with 18 points and 11 assists, both game-highs. The Warriors were destroyed Thursday night in Phoenix, even worse than the 112-88 score might indicate.
Follow Free Lance Sports on Twitter.
Phoenix had five players score in double figures and shot 52.4 percent from the field. Golden State, on the other hand, put together one of its worst offensive games of the season.
Warriors guard Monta Ellis finished with eight points on 4-for-13 shooting. Small forward Dorell Wright had three points on 1-for-9 shooting. Power forward David Lee needed 12 shots to get 11 points. Even starting center Andris Biedrins was 1-for-5 in just 11 minutes of action.
The Warriors finished with 40 percent shooting, including 6 of 20 from 3-point range. Golden State failed to score 90 points for the first time since Dec. 10 vs. Miami.
The Warriors are now 9-8 on the 22-game stretch they had circled as pivotal for their playoff hopes. The Warriors play four of their next five at home before taking off for a seven-game road trip. Considering how they’ve struggled on the road_now 6-18 _ home wins are that much more important.
Fortunately for the Warriors, they won’t have to see Phoenix again until mid-March. Once a guaranteed thriller of a shootout, Warriors-Suns games have become a mismatch. In three games this season, all Phoenix wins, the Warriors’ average margin of defeat is 14 points.
On Monday, Golden State was held to 92 points by Phoenix_at home. Thursday at US Airways Arena, it was even worse.
This is how bad it was: With 4:04 left in the third, coach Keith Smart pulled the starters. Golden State played the final 16 minutes with a lineup that included recent NBA Development League call-up Jeremy Lin and seldom-used reserves guard Charlie Bell and forward Brandan Wright. Swingman Reggie Williams and rookie big Ekpe Udoh were the leaders on the floor. Each finished with a team-high 16 points.
Smart had seen enough after the Warriors turned a 23-point halftime deficit into a 29-point hole in just three minutes. Golden State missed its first six shots of the third quarter. By the time Suns guard Vince Carter converted a driving layup, the Warriors trailed 71-42 with 9:05 left in the third.
The Warriors showed little fight in the first half. Maybe it was because they were on the second night of a back-to-back set. Maybe it was because they had no confidence in their ability stop the Suns, having failed miserably at stopping Phoenix in the first half or four days earlier.
As they did Monday, the Warriors got off to a slow start and were never able to get going. They trailed by as much as 17 in the first half, thanks largely to their inability to stop the Suns.
Other than forcing 10 turnovers over the first three quarters, the Warriors’ defense didn’t get anything accomplished. Golden State was out-rebounded and gave up 18 fast-break points.
Phoenix made 59.5 percent of its shots in the first half as Nash picked apart the Warriors defense. In 17 first-half minutes, he had 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting with eight assists.
A Stephen Curry 3-pointer had the Warriors’ deficit down to 45-39 with 5:16 left in the second quarter. But Phoenix closed the half with a 20-3 run. The Suns made four 3-pointers during the stretch.
The Warriors, meanwhile, made just one shot the rest of the way, a Curry 3-pointer. They missed their other seven attempts, including three in the paint. Golden State finished the half shooting 38.7 percent.
— Marcus Thompson II, Contra Costa Times
