Steph White

Steph Curry & Golden State Warriors make it 7-3 in Denver, Sweep Road Trip

Sports

After some initial hiccups in the first week of the 2017-18 NBA season, it looks like Golden State Warriors are back to winning ways. Powered by strong performances by the NBA All-Star quadruplet of Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, the “Dubs” as they are famously called by their fans, Golden State Warriors made a clean sweep of their recent road trip. Blowing away the Denver Nuggets at the packed Pepsi Center in Denver, the team made it 7-3, jointly topping the NBA Western Conference along with Houston Rockets.

The season didn’t start well for the defending NBA Champions. The team lost to Houston Rockets in the season opener at the home ground of the Oracle Arena. The team blew away 13 point lead in the third quarter and lost 122- 121. The team then traveled to the FedEx Forum to face the Memphis Grizzlies and lost 111-101. Though the team hasn’t been quite the same like the NBA Playoffs of the 2016-17 season where they demolished all their opponents.

Questions were being raised about the team when they lost to Detroit Pistons 115-107 at the Oracle on 30 Oct 2017. However, the team soon got back to winning ways and made it through 3-0 on road. The team beat Los Angeles Clippers 141- 113 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, then demolished San Antonio Spurs in their backyard 112-92 and finally ended the road trip with a 127-108 mauling of Denver Nuggets.

At Denver, Warriors took an early 13 point lead in what looked like a typical Golden State Warriors business. However thanks to some inspirational performance by Kenneth Faried, Nuggets began the second quarter with a 15-0 run as Warriors looked out of steam. But once the Golden State Warriors found the rhythm, they were impossible to stop. The Warriors closed the halftime with a Klay Thompson special, a three-pointer. It was the usual routine for Golden State Warrior once the second half started with the team scoring massive 43 points in the third quarter. Zaza Pachulia received some remarks from Denver players which sparked the Warrior to close the third quarter well and allowing Denver to score just 21 points.

The bench strength of Golden State Warriors again proved the difference between the teams. None of the Warriors starting five played for more than 30 minutes. Kevin Durant led the scoring sheet with 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists. Steph Curry scored 22 points with11 assists, while Draymond Green was at his usual best with 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists). The night was good for Warriors considering the fact that other NBA powerhouses, San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Atlanta Hawks have struggled in the season so far.