What we learned as Podz, Moody torch Spurs in Warriors' blowout win

What we learned as Podz, Moody torch Spurs in Warriors’ blowout win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Can a statement win come against a team that’s the No. 13 seed in the Western Conference? It can when a gauntlet is on deck and dominance is displayed for all four quarters.

The Warriors on Sunday dismantled the San Antonio Spurs, 148-106, at Frost Bank Center, putting together the kind of team-wide performance they’ve been searching for recently. The Warriors had two 40-point quarters, and their 148 points were a new season high.

Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green all enjoyed the show from the bench during the fourth quarter. All three had strong performances, but it was those around them who really stood out.

Brandin Podziemski fell two points shy of his career high, scoring 27 points to go with six rebounds and five assists. That gave Podziemski his first 20-point game since Feb. 21.

Moses Moody gave Golden State two 20-point scorers, tallying 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, plus he also had three rebounds, three assists, three steals and one blocked shot.

The Warriors as a team shot 57.7 percent overall, had 44 rebounds and 42 assists, as well as 17 steals and 64 points in the paint.

Their win also had implications in the standings. The Warriors now have a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 6 seed in the West. They’re one game back of the No. 5 seed, and two games behind the No. 4 seed.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ second consecutive win.

Starting games slow has been a frustrating staple for the Warriors all season long. They came into Sunday ranked 28th in the NBA in first-quarter points (26.7), and trailed through the first 12 minutes in each of their first three games of their current six-game road trip. Not in San Antonio, though.

A new level of focus from the jump was on display. The Warriors played intense defense, hit outside shots and attacked the rim in the first quarter. The results were seen through the scoreboard. Their 44 points were the most the Warriors scored in the first quarter this season.

And they did so with Curry taking one shot and scoring two points.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr used nine players in the first quarter, and all nine scored. Butler scored 10 points, followed by nine from Green, five from Podziemski and Quinten Post, four from Moody and Jonathan Kuminga, three from Buddy Hield and two from Curry and Gui Santos.

This wasn’t because of a 3-point barrage, too. The Warriors overall shot 70.8 percent from the field (17 of 24) in the first quarter, going 4 of 9 on threes (44.4 percent) and 13 of 15 on twos (86.7 percent). They scored 22 points in the paint, assisted on 12 of their 17 made shots and defensively swiped seven steals.

The good vibes of the first quarter took a tough break with seven minutes remaining in the second quarter when Kuminga bounced off the hardwood.

Driving to the basket with two defenders guarding him, Kuminga jumped off two feet but crashed to the floor on his way down. Luckily for him, his heels hit the ground first, somewhat bracing Kuminga on the way down. But he still bounced and immediately appeared to be in pain.

Kuminga seemed to mouth “I’m OK,” though he still walked gingerly down the tunnel and back to the locker room with Warriors director of medical services Drew Yoder. During halftime, Kuminga was ruled out for the rest of the game because of right ankle soreness.

That has to be concerning for the Warriors with only two weeks remaining in the regular season. Kuminga from Jan. 5 through March 10 missed 31 games with a badly sprained right ankle. He had played in eight games since returning from injury, averaging 14.3 points per game. Kuminga was a plus-9 in seven minutes Sunday before his fall, scoring four points and grabbing one rebound.

Golden State’s success always will come down to the new Big Three of Curry, Butler and Green. How those around them play can be what lifts the Warriors or brings them down. Role players like Podziemski, Kuminga, Moody and more are huge to the Warriors’ overall success. In a game where Kuminga went down to injury, two other youngsters stepped up.

Moody in the Warriors’ first 12 games out of the NBA All-Star break was a sharpshooter opposing defenses had to fear, shooting 45.8 percent from deep. But as his defensive responsibilities have ramped up, Moody had gone a lowly 6 of 32 (18.8 percent) on threes in the Warriors’ past six games. On Sunday night, Moody found his shot behind the 3-point line, going 3 of 6 while still being a menace defensively.

Podziemski didn’t just have a strong game beyond the arc, but the best of his career. The second-year pro made a career-high seven threes after combining to go 3 of 13 in the Warriors’ previous two games. His seven threes set a new career-high.

Every single starter made at least one 3-pointer. The Warriors shot 23.6 percent from three Friday night in New Orleans, only to then have a 15-point advantage from three two nights later, going 21 of 44 for a 47.7-percent clip. The cherry on top was Kevon Looney making a corner three in the fourth quarter, his first triple since March 19, 2021.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Showbiz Shadows

What we learned as Podz, Moody torch Spurs in Warriors’ blowout win

Leave a Reply Cancel reply