Monday night looked as predicted, in some ways.
It was a battle of two struggling teams, looking to pick up the pace in the last remaining 30-or-so games to hopefully squeeze into a postseason spot.
In other ways, it was surprising seeing the Warriors go cold from beyond the arc for most of the first half before Stephen Curry finally delivered — scoring 10 points in the second quarter — with the Nets holding a six-point halftime lead.
Despite the scoring slump and eight lead changes, the Warriors went on a late run to send a depleted Nets squad — again without Ben Simmons — to a 109-98 defeat at Barclays Center, the home team’s fourth loss in the past seven games.
Curry scored a game-high 29 points, despite shooting 4-for-11 from deep. The Warriors’ star was aided by double-doubles from Jonathan Kuminga (28 points, 10 rebounds) and Brandin Podziemski (15 points, 11 rebounds).
Stephen Curry drives to the basket against the Nets on Monday.Robert Sabo for NY Post
Cam Thomas’ 18 points led a balanced Brooklyn attack, with six players in double figures.
Nic Claxton, who was ejected in the fourth quarter for a type 2 flagrant foul, followed with 15 points and blocked a career-high seven shots.
“It’s tough playing against a team like that,” Thomas said. “We gotta find a way to land. Find a way to bring that energy. And just try to get a win, bounce back.”
The cold opening was not anticipated by coach Jacque Vaughn.
“We have to be extremely disciplined in our approach [Monday] and then be able to move on to the next play because they’re going to make shots, and they’re going to make some ridiculous shots. And we just have to move on to the next play,” he said before the game.
“Ridiculous” was nowhere to be found Monday, so the Warriors looked to the paint, scoring 72 of their points inside. They also dominated the Nets on the glass with 60 rebounds to Brooklyn’s 38.
“There is a physicality to rebounding and it’s good for our group to take a look at individual clips of, you know, did you have a body on a body?” Vaughn said after the game. “Even the possession where Nic ends up guarding Curry, blocks his shot, we didn’t come away with the rebound. Which, subsequently, Nic reacted after the rebound. But I think we had two or three bodies that weren’t touching other bodies. And our guys will see it and in order for us to win games, we got to be OK with the level of physicality.”
Two consecutive dunks by Kuminga started the Warriors’ 8-3 run in the third quarter that kept them within one or two points of the Nets before Golden State took a 75-70 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Nets were running on fumes by the end.
When Curry reentered the game with under nine minutes to go, he fed off the energy of Draymond Green’s wide-open layup and Lester Quinones’ easy jumper.
Brooklyn Nets guard Lonnie Walker IV makes a 3-pointer during the first half on Monday.Robert Sabo for NY Post
On the following possession, Curry missed a floater and grabbed his own rebound before scoring.
On the next play, he nailed a step-back 3-pointer to give the Warriors a 89-80 lead with 6:21 to go.
But the worst was still to come after Podziemski grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled by Claxton, which the officials called “unnecessary” and “aggressive” — resulting in an ejection that left the Nets undersized.
Cam Johnson takes a jump shot for the Nets against the Warriors on Monday.Robert Sabo for NY Post
“No, I didn’t,” Vaughn said of whether he had the chance to talk to Claxton after the ejection. “But what I did sense was that it was his frustration. The play before that, I talked to him about being up on Curry and not allowing him to shoot 3s and then he did that. The next possession he blocked Curry’s shot, which was great, but we didn’t come away with the rebound.
“So, I did sense and feel his frustration because we are asking him to do a ton. And he needs his teammates to cover his back when he’s guarding guys and blocking shots.”
Royce O’Neale’s two 3-pointers kept the Nets close, down 94-88, with under four minutes to play.
But the Nets’ lack of size came back to haunt them, giving up offensive rebounds and fouling the larger Warriors. With under three minutes to go, O’Neale fouled Kuminga, who made one foul shot.
Shortly after, Curry finished the Nets off, driving down the lane for two layups on subsequent possessions, earning a foul on the second for a three-point play to make it a 105-94 game with 1:19 left.
