LOS ANGELES – Stephen Curry said the Golden State Warriors showed “who we are” after they bounced back from their catastrophic defeat in Boston to rout the Milwaukee Bucks 125-90 at Chase Centre on March 6.
The Warriors suffered one of the most humiliating National Basketball Association (NBA) defeats in franchise history on March 3, losing by a staggering 52-point margin in a 140-88 loss to the Celtics. However, the seven-time NBA champions came roaring back with a vengeance to blow past the in-form Bucks with an emphatic win.
“The nature of the NBA, you can get hit by a bus like we did in Boston and there’s a temptation to forget the body of work that we’ve put in over the last month-and-a-half and the identity we’re trying to create,” said Curry, who poured in 29 points and a game-high eight rebounds.
“For us to respond the way we did coming home was big. For us to be able to turn the page, play with conviction and confidence after a beat-down like that, it shows what we’re trying to build and who we are.”
A revitalised Milwaukee had been unbeaten since the All-Star break, with an improved defence helping Doc Rivers’ team record six-straight victories. Yet the Warriors conjured a sublime all-round performance to keep the Bucks, who shot just 38.2 per cent, on the back foot almost from the outset.
The Warriors tallied 40 points in the first quarter alone and then added 38 in the second to lead 78-58 at half-time. Although Milwaukee rallied in the third quarter, outscoring Golden State 23-15, the Warriors, who made almost half of their 39 three-point attempts, dropped the hammer in the final frame to cruise home for their 12th win in their last 15 games.
Curry received scoring support from Jonathan Kuminga with 20 points, while rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis impressed with 15 points from the bench. Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee’s scorers with 23 points, while Damian Lillard and Bobby Portis had 20 apiece.
The Warriors improved to 33-28 with the win to move into ninth place in the Western Conference, while the Bucks remain second in the East with a 41-22 record, eight games adrift of leaders Boston.
Over at Crypto.com Arena, De’Aaron Fox scored a season-high 44 points and Domantas Sabonis added his NBA-best 22nd triple-double with 16 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists as the visiting Sacramento Kings rallied from an early 19-point deficit to earn a 130-120 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Malik Monk scored 26 points with eight assists off the bench against his former team, Davion Mitchell had 12 points, and Harrison Barnes added 11 as the Kings got back on track after losing three of their previous four games.
LeBron James scored 31 points with 13 assists, Rui Hachimura added 29 points and Anthony Davis scored 14 points with 11 rebounds for the Lakers. AFP, REUTERS
