The Beat Loved Curry's Crossover. The Comeback Was Built Behind Him
The coverage fell for Curry's crossover, but reserves built the comeback over the Lakers, and the night's real worry, Lendeborg, deserves patience.
Every outlet covering the Warriors led with the 25-point comeback and Curry's 31. Checked against the box score and the injury list, those storylines show depth as the real asset and a rookie's bad night as noise.
What is everyone watching?
The crossover. The Athletic built a piece around Curry dropping Doncic, and ESPN's Anthony Slater called the ankle-breaker the emblem of a 25-point comeback. Warriors.com and ESPN's game story led with the deficit too. The box score justifies the fuss: Curry scored 31 on 8-of-14 from three and was plus-19 in 31 minutes. But one play did not win this game. Golden State lost the first quarter 38-15 and won the second by the same score, a split NBC Sports' Dalton Johnson flagged at halftime. The game turned on an 18-0 run that bridged the third and fourth quarters.
Who actually turned it?
Johnson's other takeaway, that the bench saved the night, holds up better than the highlight. Georges Niang went 3-of-3 from deep and was plus-21 in 19 minutes. De'Anthony Melton added 16 and hit four of his six threes. Charles Bassey was plus-14 in nine minutes. The reserves scored 48. That depth is a requirement, not a bonus. Jimmy Butler's right knee carries an estimated return of January 2, and Porzingis's illness and Moses Moody's left knee both carry December 1 estimates. The early hole had a cause too, and Johnson named it as it happened: nine turnovers in the first nine minutes.
Is the Lendeborg worry fair?
The second storyline is the rookie. The Athletic wrote that his age was his own worst enemy in the draft, picking up Kerr's comments, relayed by Johnson, about his fall to No. 11. Then Johnson posted the line nobody wanted to see: Lendeborg fouled out with six points, one rebound, five turnovers and a minus-20, the worst mark of any Warrior. One night does not erase the rest. Through six games he averages 19.8 points with 7.8 rebounds, and he put up 31 and 12 at Denver on October 26. Those numbers call for patience, not alarm.
What does the coverage miss?
Sunday. ESPN's preview has the Clippers trying to snap a four-game skid, and they do arrive wounded at 1-4, with Brandon Ingram, Bradley Beal and Max Strus all listed out. The Athletic called the loss a nightmare for the Lakers. The lesson for Golden State is narrower. A team without Butler, Porzingis or Moody can climb out of a 23-point first-quarter hole only if the giveaways stop and the reserves keep shooting like this. The Clippers edged them 104-101 on October 4. Against them, the real test is not falling into the hole in the first place.
How did the Warriors come back from 25 down against the Lakers?
They won the second quarter 38-15 to tie the game 53-53 at halftime, then pulled away with an 18-0 run across the third and fourth quarters. The bench scored 48 points in the 112-95 win.
Should Warriors fans worry about Yaxel Lendeborg after the Lakers game?
Not much. He fouled out with five turnovers and a minus-20, but he averages 19.8 points through six games and scored 31 at Denver.
