The Golden State Warriors proved they could handle LeBron James and the full-strength Cleveland Cavaliers.
They continued to roll without head coach Steve Kerr.
NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry and the reigning NBA champions have pushed back most challenges they’ve encountered and maintained their championship fire.
The next question was if the mighty Warriors could beat the San Antonio Spurs.
That answer was definitive as well.
“We almost got them,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said jokingly.
The Warriors were up by as many as 33 points Monday night before routing the Spurs 120-90 at Oracle Arena. The previous largest margin of defeat for San Antonio this season was 14. Curry also scored a Spurs opponent season-high of 37 points, made six 3-pointers and had five steals before sitting out the fourth quarter for the 14th time this season.
Spurs forward Tim Duncan didn’t play because of knee soreness, but it may not have made a difference for the five-time champions.
“They outplayed us in every single aspect of the game,” Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. “Aggression was one. Shooting was another one. Defense. Everything. It was the whole package. I don’t think there was one area in which it was close. They just outplayed us in every aspect.
“We were slow. Not very sharp. It was no game.”
The Warriors improved their league-best record to 41-4 and pushed their Western Conference lead over the Spurs (38-7) to three games. The teams entered their first regular-season matchup with the highest combined winning percentage (.886) in NBA history for opponents who have played at least 40 games each, according to Elias Sports. Celebrities are the norm at Oracle Arena now, but even Jay Z was sitting courtside long before the rest of the celebrity crowd arrived.
“It definitely takes on not necessarily more significance, but I think more anticipation for everybody,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said before the game. “Not just for our fans, but our guys, too.”
Even Popovich admitted during pregame that the matchup had a special feel.
“You feel different going against a team that is the best team in the league,” Popovich said. “There are butterflies in your gut. You’re excited about the game.”
And then the game started.
The Spurs stayed within reach, finishing the first quarter down 29-23 after committing eight turnovers. After that, it was all Curry and the Warriors as they outscored the Spurs 91-67 in the final three quarters. The Spurs’ pregame concerns about the Warriors’ unselfish play and scoring out of the post were warranted as San Antonio allowed 31 assists and 52 points in the paint.
The Spurs also gave up a season-high 62 points in the first half.
“They outplayed us in a number of ways,” said first-year Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge, an All-Star candidate who had a rough outing with five points and three rebounds.
Said Spurs guard Danny Green: “This is a good learning experience for us. Take it and learn from it.”
San Antonio had won 54 of their previous 62 games against Golden State, including 23 of 26 at Oracle Arena.
But that was then.
The reality today is Curry and the Warriors are dominant, going 7-0 this season against teams with a .600 record or better.
“We’ve got a long way to go to play with these guys,” Popovich said.
The Warriors still have three regular-season games remaining against the Spurs, who remain dangerous because of their resilience and talent. But it’s also safe to say Golden State is feeling pretty good about itself.
“We do a better job than I think any team does in just worrying about us,” Curry told Yahoo Sports. “That’s a strength of ours. Whoever we are playing, we’re are really kind of stubborn, but we really just think about us.”
Warriors forward Draymond Green told Yahoo Sports: “At this point we feel like we can match up with and beat anybody in this league. Obviously, [the Spurs] have had a lot of success over the past 15 years. But we are confident in ourselves and believe we can win against anybody.”
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