With Kevin Durant and James Harden ruled out for the Brooklyn Nets, Saturday’s primetime contest against the Golden State Warriors looked to be heading towards a blowout.
After the Warriors jumped out to a 19-point advantage, the Nets fought back into the game with gritty performances from Kyrie Irving and Patty Mills.
Heading into the final frame, the Warriors gripped to a two-point advantage. Down the stretch, Brooklyn and Golden State exchanged haymakers. After each team traded shots in the fourth quarter, the Warriors needed a final bucket to close out the Nets at Chase Center. Klay Thompson answered the bell.
With 12.5 seconds left on the clock, Thompson drilled a deep 3-pointer to give the Warriors a four-point lead. Although Irving responded with a familiar clutch jumper from beyond the arc to cut the lead to one, the Warriors were able to hold on against the Nets, 110-106.
Thompson finished the game with 16 points on 5-of-14 shooting from the field with six boards and two assists in 27 minutes.
After a slow start, Steph Curry ended the game with 19 points on 5-of-18 shooting from the field with eight assists, five rebounds and three steals in 36 minutes. Curry notched 14 of his points in the fourth quarter alone.
Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors in scoring with 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the floor with eight rebounds, three steals, three blocks and two assists in 37 minutes.
Despite Brooklyn dropping the contest, Irving scored a season-high 32 points on 9-of-21 shooting from the field against Golden State.
After the Warriors secured the victory over the Nets, the NBA community on Twitter weighed in with different reactions. Here’s a look at what fans and analysts were saying on Saturday night.
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Game on the line, poor shooting night, and THIS is how Steph Curry is defended even with Klay Thompson right next to him.
This is why Steph Curry is the MVP. pic.twitter.com/eoX3C8dl7e
— Guru (@DrGuru_) January 30, 2022
Through 50 games, the Warriors are 37-13
With 32 games left, there are many ways to put the remaining W-L into context…
If they Warriors go 20-12, they finish with 57 wins
…
23-9: 60 wins
16-16: 53 winsetc etc etc
— Grant Liffmann (@GrantLiffmann) January 30, 2022
It may not have been pretty all the time, but the Warriors win 5 in a row and finish the home stand 6-1
They are now 37-13
— Grant Liffmann (@GrantLiffmann) January 30, 2022
No Draymond, Harden, or KD but that game gave us a little taste of this year’s NBA Finals.
I’m so excited to get the whole load in June.
— Guru (@DrGuru_) January 30, 2022
That game showed me two things:
1. The Warriors are gonna win the West
2. The Nets are gonna win the East
— Guru (@DrGuru_) January 30, 2022
Laborious but successful seven-game homestand for the Warriors: 6-1 record. Only loss was to a Pacers team without its starters. Steph Curry struggled to find his shot. No Draymond Green. Klay Thompson gaining a rhythm. Depth/defense continues to show. Great week for Wiggins.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 30, 2022
Wiggins: 3 blks, 3 stls
Porter: 4 blks
Curry: 3 stls— Grant Liffmann (@GrantLiffmann) January 30, 2022
Fun Fact: Bad Wins count as much as Good Wins.
— Warriors Huddle (@WarriorsHuddle) January 30, 2022
FINAL: Warriors escape with the 110-106 win over the Nets. After totaling just 12 points through the first three quarters, Curry and Thompson combined for 23 in the fourth.
— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) January 30, 2022
It is impressive that Klay was able to improve his performance tonight when he was most fatigued in the 4th quarter; a great sign of where his conditioning is at this point.
— Dr. Nirav Pandya, M.D. (@DrNiravPandya) January 30, 2022
Klay Thompson went full YOLO. Splash!
— Bonta Hill (@BontaHill) January 30, 2022
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