The Warriors had played 45 games this season before Wednesday night, and James Michael McAdoo sat on the bench for 27 of them.
On 20 of those occasions he was designated inactive, and on the other seven he simply was not called upon to enter the game.
McAdoo was summoned Wednesday night. Not only did he play but he did so to such effect that was among the pivotal factors in Game 46, a 113-103 victory over the Hornets at Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
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“He was amazing,” teammate Draymond Green said of McAdoo. “He really, really changed the tempo of the game. He had a lot of energy on the defensive end with all the switches. He was phenomenal for us.”
McAdoo, playing 20 minutes, his longest stretch of the season, contributed 8 points, seven rebounds, two blocked shots and a steal.
The scoring and steals totals ties McAdoo’s season high, while the rebounding and blocks established season highs.
“I wasn’t really seeing myself playing a lot of minutes,” McAdoo told reporters in Charlotte. “But when (Hornets center Cody Zeller) went down, we knew they were probably going to go a little smaller with their second unit.
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“I know that’s something that, when it happens they’ll either look at me or Kevon (Looney). So it just happened to be my night.”
He stood as the latest evidence that coach Steve Kerr is willing to use any one on his roster, and is willing to extend minutes if that player is making a positive impact.
“McAdoo was tremendous,” Kerr said. “Anytime it’s a (defensive) switching game, where you’ve got big guys that can shoot . . . it’s a really good fit for Mac. He’s explosive. He’s smart. He can guard multiple positions.
“He’s a niche player; not every matchup is going to work for him. He knows that. But when the matchups are right, he’s always staying ready and he delivers.”
It was something of a homecoming for McAdoo, who slept at his parents’ home Tuesday night and played before family and friends.