Memo to David Stern: Start the playoffs right now, baby, the Warriors are ready to make a run!
What is it with this team? Just when Warrior nation was about to write them off as the latest version of Chris Cohan's spectacularly unsuccessful basketball product, they up and beat two of the best teams in the league in consecutive games.
Last night, the Warriors outhustled, outshot, and outplayed the visiting San Antonio Spurs. The Texan rib ticklers came into the game with a league-best 7-0 record on the road this year and the best road record in the league over the last ten years. Thanks to 26 points from Jason Richardson, a brilliant time out by coach Don Nelson at the 3:13 mark, and two clutch free throws by Andris Biedrins (of all people) at the 1:56 mark, the Spurs and their pristine road record will mosey out of town beaten and blemished, respectively.
And the win against Utah was h-u-g-e, HUGE! In fact, the Warriors didn't just beat the Jazz 91-78 at the Oracle on Saturday, they crushed them. Coming into the game, the team was listing heavily after dropping three straight games, including two close stomach churners at home and a vintage stinker on the road in Denver. In that loss, the Warriors gave up a ridiculous 140 points and had a better chance of stopping the war in Iraq than they did stopping the Nuggets offense. It was a game that exposed the most vulnerable of Warriors weak points -- defensive intensity.
Biedrins and the Warriors stuffed Fabricio Oberto and the Spurs like they was a Florida ballot box. Open wide NBA! Photo from ESPN.com