The Warriors collective is too strong for the Bucks

If the Warriors start the match with two game-winning shots, their skill quickly runs away from them and Giannis Antetokounmpo a 9-0 lead that gives the Bucks (19-12) control of the game. Milwaukee then loses more balls and Stephen Curry (31 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds) took advantage of the opportunity to launch a 10-0 run for Golden State. It took a surge from Kevin Porter Jr. (15 points, 9 assists) to put two teams behind after one quarter (31-31).

The Warriors, however, are moving forward. They use the threat of Stephen Curry to deliver the threes of Moses Moody, Al Horford and DeAnthony Melton (22 points). 12-2 gives them an advantage of ten points (43-33). Despite Giannis Antetokounmpo’s best efforts, Golden State is staying the course. Quinten Post in the circle, Draymond Green (14 points, 7 assists) from a distance and Jimmy Butler (21 points) on free throws allow them to return to the locker room with +11 (64-53).

Stephen Curry makes a hole

After Myles Turner (13 points) and the indispensable Antetokounmpo, Doc Rivers’ men started the second half with a 10-2 run (66-63). Stephen Curry then takes matters into his own hands. He scored 13 points leading to a sharp 19-6 run that gave his team a 16-point lead (85-69). Good passing by Ryan Rollins (16 points) and Kyle Kuzma (13 points) stopped the bleeding, but the Bucks’ defense had no solution in the face of the altruism and skill of the Warriors. Two more 3-pointers by Melton maintain the gap (98-82).

The Bucks benefit from a resurgence in outside skill (8/23 after three quarters, 5/7 through the first eight minutes of the fourth quarter) and Antetokounmpo’s dominance inside to get back to -9 with less than four minutes to play (115-106). As Jimmy Butler misses a layup and Melton misses a free throw, Myles Turner and AJ Green add two game-winning shots that send the Chase Center into a fog of doubt. Despite this small scare, the Warriors held on and Stephen Curry’s final basket ended the game.

WHAT TO REMEMBER

Stephen Curry once again sets the tone. Skillful, with 31 points on 12/21 shooting, and rigorous, with 7 assists and no turnovers, Stephen Curry set the tone from the beginning of the match. He finished the first quarter with 10 points and 4 assists, and topped it after halftime when the Bucks came back to put the Warriors out of reach for their opponent. The entire Golden State team was shining behind him. Showing selflessness and skill, they finished the match with 31 assists with 44 field goals and only 7 turnovers!

The Bucks lose the 3-point battle. The Warriors and Bucks are the two most prolific 3-point shooting teams in the league. The Warriors are shooting 15.8 per game (2nd in the NBA), while the Bucks are hitting 39.5% of their attempts from distance (also second). But on this night, Golden State dominated this aspect of the meeting, at least for the first three quarters. The Bucks had just 8 3-pointers before the final quarter, compared to 16 for the Warriors. They made up for it going 6/9 in the final quarter, but Milwaukee made just 32 3-point shots last night, five fewer than their average and fifteen fewer than the Warriors.

De’Anthony Melton is having his best game of the season. With 21 points on the scoreboard, 5/8 from 3-point range, De’Anthony Melton set his record for most points in a game this season. Highly regarded by Steve Kerr and his staff, he gives the Warriors a player who can hold his own on defense but also attack with the ball in hand to assist Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, and make defenses pay with his long-range shooting.

How to read statistics? Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / attempt 3 points; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive jump; T = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Difference of points when the player is on the field; Points = Points; Rating: player rating calculated based on positive actions – negative actions.