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OAKLAND — After a stinging loss two nights earlier, the Warriors got back to winning on Saturday. That the success came against the Brooklyn Nets, a team hoping for a playoff berth, surely helped.
But don’t underplay the significance of this 116-100 semi-rout. The Warriors (11-2) got what they needed against a team that never quits and had won three in a row.
Here are two positives and two negatives culled from an evening at Oracle Arena:
POSITIVES
They treated the ball with respect
On the second half of a back-to-back set, the Nets probably needed a little help to stay competitive over four quarters. They got next to nothing.
The Warriors committed 10 turnovers, their second-fewest total of the season.
The primary ball-handlers — Quinn Cook, Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala — were especially prudent, combining for three turnovers over 82 minutes. Durant has two, but more than offset that with 11 assists. Cook, starting at point guard for Stephen Curry, played 30 minutes without committing a turnover.
The Warriors over the past 77 games are 16-1 when they commit 10 or fewer giveaways. Even with two All-Stars missing, they’re tough to beat when they don’t help the opponent.
Young big men handled their business
The evolution of the three young big men — Jordan Bell, Damian Jones and Kevon Looney — continues to move along.
With Jones starting his 13th consecutive game and the others coming off the bench, the trio combined for 15 points (6-of-9 shooting), 16 rebounds and four blocks. They totaled 61 minutes.
Though Looney was whistled for five fouls in only 13 minutes, Jones and Bell managed to avoid foul trouble, each finishing with two.
They don’t typically post big numbers, but they’re not expected to. Their job is to do the dirty work that makes life easier for their smaller teammates. They succeeded against the likes of Jarrett Allen and Ed Davis.
NEGATIVES
Paint problems continue
After being outscored 84-24 in the paint against the Bucks on Thursday, the Warriors needed to reassert their ability to be effective in traffic. They failed, again, though not nearly as spectacularly.
Brooklyn has no fearsome interior threat yet rang up 52 points in the paint, to 32 for the Warriors. The Nets shot 59.1 percent inside, to 51.6 percent for the Warriors.
Losing the paint battle by 20 isn’t like losing it by 60, but it still shines a light on Draymond Green’s value. There are no easy baskets when he’s on the floor.
Green could return as early as Monday in Los Angeles, against the Clippers. It wouldn’t be the same without his old friend Blake Griffin, but you’d best believe Green took note of these past two games and will be out to make a statement.
They often ignored the shooter
The Nets shoot plenty of 3-pointers, but nobody on their team is better at it that small forward Joe Harris. He entered the game shooting an NBA-best 55.9 from beyond the arc. If there is one guy who should not get open looks, it’s him.
Yet there he was, shaking free of defenders, including the usually stout Klay Thompson, and piling up 19 points in 13 first-half minutes, on 7-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-4 from deep.
The Warriors didn’t really stop him — he finished with a season-high 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting, 4-of-6 from deep — so they attacked his poor defense. He played only seven minutes in the second half.
The Warriors pride themselves on defending the 3-point line, taking particular delight in their closeouts. It took them a while to remember that.
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