The Warriors took command in the second quarter Sunday and held on for a 120-114 win over the Nets at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
This one didn’t go into the win column until Kevin Durant made two free throws with 13.9 seconds remaining. Stephen Curry added two more free throws with 2.0 seconds left.
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Here are three takeaways culled from a game the Nets made very close with a late charge:
The Curry-Durant express rolls on
Curry and Durant combined to score 81 points in a home win over the Wizards last Wednesday. They combined for 70 in beating the Knicks in New York on Friday. They’re cooling off, it seems.
The two league MVP candidates produced 69 points between them against the Nets, and the Warriors needed every one of them.
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Curry scored 35 points (11 of 26 shooting from the field, 7 of 15 from beyond the arc, 6 of 7 from the line), adding seven rebounds and three assists. He played 36 minutes and finished plus-11.
Durant finished with 34 points (11 of 20 shooting from the field, 2 of 6 from deep, 10 of 11 from the line), eight rebounds, six assists, one block and one steal in 39 minutes.
As long as Curry and Durant are torching defenses, Klay Thompson (18 points and 1-of-5 3-point shooting) can take his time joining the party.
Draymond officially is back
Draymond Green missed more than two weeks of training camp and preseason action. He’s behind, but there were signs in the last home two games that he was starting to catch up and be the player Warriors fans have come to expect.
If the first two games of this road trip are any indication, he’s officially back.
Green totaled eight points, 13 assists, four rebounds and five steals against Brooklyn. That came two days after Friday's 128-100 win over the Knicks, in which he delivered 18 points (7-of-8 shooting from the field, 2 of 3 from deep), four rebounds and three steals.
Though he led the Warriors in assists in both games (six against the Knicks, 13 against the Nets), it’s the shooting that makes such a dramatic impact. When Green is making 3-pointers even occasionally, it’s a huge benefit to the Warriors' offense because it opens up space for his teammates.
The bench is finding its groove
The Warriors have been on a constant search for reliable bench support beyond the likes of Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston. They might be onto something.
Alfonzo McKinnie and Jonas Jerebko again were effective and continue to force coach Steve Kerr to keep them in the rotation.
McKinnie, whose journey with the Warriors began with an invitation to training camp last month, contributed nine points (4-of-5 shooting from the field, 1 of 2 from deep), five rebounds, one block and one steal. He played 17 minutes and finished plus-12.
Jerebko, who signed with the Warriors after becoming a free agent in July, scored just four points but also came up with six rebounds and two assists. He played 15 minutes and finished plus-7.
Both players also performed well Friday in New York, with Jerebko totaling eight points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes while McKinnie put in seven points in nine minutes.