ANAHEIM –- When the Warriors stepped onto the Honda Center floor early Thursday night, they did so with fond memories of last season and salty recollection of last Saturday.
Those dual factors drove them to a 136-97 preseason demolition of the Lakers that was, for the Warriors, more than just a game.
It was also a reminder to the NBA that the Warriors, so soft and sleepy through most of the preseason, do indeed recall their formula for success. And it was a message to the Lakers, who last week in San Diego were a bit too giddy about their work against that version of them.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
[POOLE: Warriors lose footing in strange road loss]
The Lakers led the Warriors 85-70 last Saturday before the game was halted in the third quarter because of slippery floor conditions. That game featured a higher level of physical play –- and considerable amount of jawing -– than is customary in the preseason. The Lakers played as if it mattered.
The Warriors didn’t forget that.
“This was the last tuneup game before regular season,” said Harrison Barnes, who finished with 23 points, five rebounds and four assists. “And after the last time we played them ... they had a good game. So we remembered that and kind of wanted to set a tone going into the season.”
Golden State Warriors
This was the defending champion issuing a liberal sprinkling of comeuppance on the Lakers, who struggled last season and are expected to do so again.
More than that, though, this was the Warriors dialing up the characteristics that make them champs. The defensive intensity and shooting –- particularly from beyond the arc –- were on full display, and the Lakers were powerless to stop it.
“That’s the energy we’ve shown in practice that hasn’t carried over in games,” interim coach Luke Walton said.
“Everybody out there played well, played aggressive and found a way to impact the game,” said Steph Curry, who submitted 24 points, 10 assists and four steals. “Our defense was our best attribute tonight, because that led to easy offense.
“That’s how we play. In previous preseason games, we’ve gotten stagnant. A lot of that is because we’re not getting stops. But, yeah, that’s our brand of basketball.”
[POOLE: Instant Replay: Sharpshooting Warriors slam Lakers]
With Klay Thompson, Curry and Barnes leading the way, the Warriors roared out early. When the Lakers took a 5-2 lead, the Warriors responded with a 19-5 run that pushed the lead to double digits less than seven minutes after tipoff. Thompson, Curry and Barnes accounted for 28 of their 39 points in the opening quarter.
The contribution from Barnes was particularly welcome insofar as his offense –- especially when he’s at power forward in a smaller lineup –- spreads defense so thin they fall apart.
“He doesn’t really ever go hunt his own shots,” Walton said of Barnes. “It’s kind of up to the guys playing that unselfish brand of basketball. When they do that, that’s when he really has big games. A lot of times, it’ll be a bigger player and he can use his athleticism. He was brilliant tonight.”
The Warriors, in general, were on their game and looked very much like the team that won 67 games last season. They led the league in three-point shooting, and they drowned the Lakers in treys –- 16 in all. The Warriors last season were tops in field goal percentage defense and limited L.A. to 41.3 percent shooting, only 38.6 during a first half in which they made a pointed statement.
“We knew this was our last chance to get to feel good about ourselves and play our brand of basketball,” Draymond Green said. “That was important to try to get a rhythm going into Tuesday.”
The Warriors looked like a team that was happily done with the preseason and eager to move on to games that matter. Moreover, they suddenly look ready for those games, which begin Tuesday night at Oracle Arena.