No one expected the Golden State Warriors to beat the Brookyn Nets on Wednesday.
Not with Klay Thompson joining Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Donte DiVincenzo and JaMychal Green on the bench. Not with Kevin Durant and the burgeoning Nets reasserting themselves as one of the Eastern Conference’s top contenders. Let alone when the defending champions played the second night of a grueling back-to-back, the culmination of a frenetic six-game, nine-day journey.
Golden State trailed 46-17 at the end of the first quarter. Not only is that the most points the Warriors have allowed in the first half this season, but their 29-point deficit tied a franchise record for the worst first-quarter differential in franchise history.
The Nets led by a paltry 91-51 score at halftime, dominating virtually every facet of the game. They shot below 70% on field goals; they shot 13 of 19 from beyond the arc; they distributed 25 assists; and they outscored Golden State 19-0 in fast-break points and 23-0 in turnover points.
Brooklyn’s 91 first-half points unsurprisingly set a new Warriors record for first-half points conceded.
Santiago de la Peña
