OAKLAND –- Starting slow and sloppy for the second consecutive game, the Warriors on Thursday night appeared willing to play the role of gracious host and give Kobe Bryant a chance to deliver one final, fabulous moment at Oracle Arena.
The Lakers star seemed to sense their malaise. Despite nagging Achilles soreness and an aching shoulder that kept him out of the previous game, Bryant willed himself onto the court for a pregame ceremony and immediately was aggressive, launching 10 shots in the first quarter.
He made only three of those, however, and he missed his only second-quarter shot.
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The Warriors midway through the third quarter no longer were in the mood to give. Credit a dash of Stephen Curry and a sprinkling of the reserves for lighting a fire that carried them to a 116-98 victory.
[RATTO: Kobe's greatness never infringed on Warriors' success]
Asked if the pregame ceremony might have taken some edge off the Warriors – they shot 34.8 percent in the first half – interim coach Luke Walton squashed that theory.
“No, I thought it was nice. It was very respectful of a great crowd to cheer for Kobe like that and give him the standing ovation at the end,” he said. “I don’t think it did anything to our guys.
Golden State Warriors
“It’s just playing five games in seven nights, with a flight to Denver (on Tuesday) and back (late Wednesday night). Guys are tired. That’s an excuse and we will not accept that excuse and we will continue to ask for great things from our players and we expect great things from our players.”
Said backup point guard Shaun Livingston of the rigorous recent schedule: “It’s more mental . . . it’s physical too.”
What the Warriors (37-3) needed was aid and Livingston and the rest of the bench provided it, combining for 58 points to equal the output of the starters. Livingston put in a season-high 17 points, Leandro Barbosa 15 and Harrison Barnes 12 to keep the Warriors perfect (19-0) at home this season.
That allowed the Warriors to overcome a first half in which they were soundly beaten in almost every category except on the scoreboard, where they had a 52-49 lead. They outscored Los Angeles 64-49 after intermission mostly because they played smarter.
“The focus was there,” Curry said of the first half, “but we need to execute a little bit better.”
“We rely on free-flowing, high-energy game,” Walton said. “And when that is not going, then the next thing we have to do is lock down on defense and execute on offense. In the first half, none of that was going for us.”
The Lakers in the first half owned the paint, with a 26-12 scoring advantage. The Warriors reversed that after halftime, taking a 32-22 edge in paint points. Moreover, the Warriors had eight assists in the first half but 18 in the second.
“The ball wasn’t moving really well,” Barbosa observed. “I was watching on the bench and when I came in that was the reason I started cutting, so that we could have more action. And so the offense could come more easily and make it more difficult on the defense. I think it worked a little bit.”
That, more inspired defense (six third-quarter turnovers) and Curry’s shooting (26 points, 9-of-18 from field, including 8-of-16 from 3-point distance) gave the Warriors enough momentum to coast to victory.
The bench was so productive, particularly after halftime, Brandon Rush was the only starter that played in the fourth quarter.
“The bench is always important,” Barbosa said. “When the team is not going right with the starters, that’s when the bench comes in. The starters played a lot of minutes (Wednesday) night and it was a bad loss. We didn’t like that we lost that game last night, so it was a reason for us to have this game tonight.”
It worked out about as well as the Warriors could have hoped. Kobe played, was the center of pregame attention and the object of chants and lavish ovations. But scored eight points on 4-of-15 shooting and walked out with another loss in what has been an inglorious farewell season.