Stephen Curry and the new starting lineup shine against the Spurs

The The Golden State Warriors knew things had to change after being thoroughly beaten by the Oklahoma City Thunder. The fans knew it, the players knew it, and Steve Kerr and the coaching staff knew it. That’s why, before the Warriors’ first match against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, he told reporters to expect some changes in the rotation.

The most drastic of those changes is the insertion of Moses Moody and rookie Will Richard into the starting lineup alongside veteran stars Jonathan Cumminga and Quinten Post — the kind of jolt expected from a team looking for a spark. And for at least one game, that lineup seemed to give Golden State some sort of momentum as they shut out the Spurs 125-120 to make it six games losing streak on the way.

“We had to rediscover our identity,” Kerr said after the game when asked about the thought process behind the new starting lineup.

“The ball movement right away, even though we scored 14 points in the first quarter, I loved the process. The ball was moving, everybody was rushing screens, spreading the floor, getting to our spots in transition, competing defensively. It was just like our team was there.”

Led by the aging glow Stephen Curry and his 46 points on 13-of-25 shooting, the Warriors brought back some of the life and joy that had been absent the past two weeks. While Spurs giant star Victor Wembanyama managed a triple-double with 31 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, adding Jimmy Butler’s steady 28 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists, and Moody shot 5 of 10 from the line for the Warriors, and you were able to take care of the 3-pointer.

The Sun in the Warrior Solar System

With Golden State’s competitive juices flowing much more freely, Curry and Green turned back the clock to deliver elite performances on both ends. Trailing by seven points at halftime, Curry exploded for 22 points in the third quarter en route to a 43-point Avalanche by the Dubs in that span. Curry noticed his shots were short in the first half and made the necessary adjustments to be nuclear.

It was Curry’s 43rd 40-point game since turning 30, which puts him just one game away from tying Michael Jordan’s historic 44-game mark. Curry’s performance was another reminder of just how electric a show can be how important he is warriors.

“When you have the privilege of watching Steph for 11+ years like I did, you get used to this,” Kerr said after the game. “He’s the reason this whole thing happened. He’s our Tim Duncan – he’s the sun in our solar system. And he’s such an amazing player and teammate, and it’s great to see him out there (after missing three games).”

But if Kari is the sun around which the Warriors’ solar system revolves, green is the gravity that binds them. With Golden State completely ceding size to Wembanyama and San Antonio’s players, Green called on a vintage defensive play that saw the Frenchman go 1-of-8 when defending him. After the game, Al Horford broke down Green’s defense at Wembanyama.

“He accepts that challenge. He accepts it,” Horford said. “He’s able to get on the ball, which makes it hard for him to do anything easy. … He’s just a smart defender, so he knows when he can do different things. When he can hit it, when he can shoot gaps. But ultimately, I feel like he’s done a really good job contesting his shots.”

Checking in on Golden State, two games on the road

It was a much-needed win for Golden State after a few low-energy outings. Kerr pointed out that one of the key differences between this win and the loss to OKC was the “competitive spirit.” He felt the team was embarrassed by their effort against the Thunder and that this game helped them “rediscover” their team identity.

“When you lose, you have to deal with what’s going on,” Curry he told reporters (h/t Joseph Dicus of The Mercury News). “Don’t be afraid of change, and that means everyone is ready to adapt to what’s asked of you. Especially with a team with high expectations, for example, we’re not going to sit in a situation thinking things are going to change on their own.”

Curry said the team didn’t just have a players’ meeting, but a good film session to get back on the same page. From his account, it seems to have gone well, as the leaders addressed the issues without singling out anyone personally.

“Whether it’s a lineup change, whether it’s how we approach the game, whether it’s energy, whatever it is, we’ve been around the block long enough and we’ve got enough experience. We can deal with things and not make it personal. Everyone takes responsibility and ownership and keeping it real. We probably have to do it three, four more times down the stretch of the season when this is basketball at this season’s level.

Golden State will face San Antonio once again on Friday. Curry said his illness has subsided, although some congestion remains. Kuminga, however, will be someone to watch moving forward. He missed the second half with knee soreness after entering the game questionable with bilateral knee tendinitis. Regardless, the Warriors will look to build on the spark they found going forward.