OAKLAND, Calif. _ When the Golden State Warriors tried, Stephen Curry made 3-pointers with ease, JaVale McGee threw down lobs and they unleashed double-digit runs.
When the Warriors did not try? They squandered double-digit leads. They committed careless turnovers. Curry airballed a 3-pointer on one play, while Draymond Green could not get the ball up over the rim on a wide-open dunk.
And so it goes. The Warriors finished with a 114-101 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday at Oracle Arena, and the only positive development points to the result.
"We want that No. 1 seed," Warriors guard Klay Thompson said beforehand. "We're obviously paying attention to what Houston is doing. But we control our own destiny if we take care of business."
The Warriors (50-14) extended their winning streak to six in a row to stay a half-game behind the Houston Rockets (50-13) for first place in the Western Conference standings. Yet, the Warriors did not build off the good habits they had displayed since the All-Star break. And the Warriors could not escape the game without an injury, a component that Warriors coach Steve Kerr considers a higher priority than home-court advantage.
The night started with Warriors veteran forward David West missing Tuesday's game because of a right arm cyst. The night ended with Warriors rookie forward Jordan Bell spraining his right ankle again after contesting a shot and landing awkwardly with 16.7 seconds left in the third quarter. After pounding his fist on the ground, Bell limped to the locker room on his own, Bell sat the rest of the game and was expected to receive X-rays. Bell had just played four games after missing the previous 14 after spraining his left ankle on Jan. 17 in Chicago.
The other variable Kerr holds in higher regard than home-court advantage: the team's habits. The Warriors became another form of Jekyll and Hyde in which they showed their best and worst all in the same game.
The Warriors exerted offensive dominance with Curry (34 points), Kevin Durant (19 points), Thompson (18), Draymond Green (16) and JaVale McGee (12) leading the way. The Warriors also displayed offensive sloppiness with 17 turnovers, including six from Green.
All of which led to a game that seemingly changed by the moment.
The Warriors sprinted out to a 35-19 first-quarter lead that coincided with the Warriors' superior shooting (70 percent), the Nets poor marksmanship (27.3 percent) and a devastating 25-0 run. That dominance soon went to waste. The Nets (20-45) tied the game at 39-39 with 5:39 left in the second quarter after going on a 20-4 run. The Nets eventually held with a 53-48 half-time lead, with D'Angelo Russell (22 points) and DeMarre Carroll (19) finishing with double-digit efforts.
The Warriors then opened the second half on a 9-2 run, likely leading plenty of Dubs fan to expect the dominant third-quarter run they have become accustomed to see.
The Warriors could not sustain a firm lead until closing the third quarter with an 86-80 cushion after capping another 9-2 run. The Warriors then held a 101-86 cushion with 6:04 left in the game after opening the final quarter on a 15-6 run.
"It's not really my job to keep them motivated. It's more of my job to keep them on the right track as far as who we're playing," Kerr said. "These are NBA players, and these games are fun. They enjoy it. They love to play. I'm not giving 'rah rah' speeches or anything. But we try to focus on where we can get better, and where we can lock in on as we head to the playoffs."
The Warriors have plenty to get better, but they are still within striking distance with Houston.
"I watch League Pass every night. I follow everything," Kerr said. "I read everything. They deserve the credit."
_For someone who has become thoughtful and outspoken on issues, Kerr spent his Tuesday morning reading something of particular interest. He read an article that Cleveland forward Kevin Love penned for the Players' Tribune that detailed his struggles with handling anxiety and the importance of speaking out on mental health issues.
"What meant the most to me is we're all going through something. It's true. We're all human beings," Kerr said. "We all have our own story. We all have our own lives. Nobody is perfect. Everybody has got things and you need friends and support and help to get through everything. It doesn't matter if you're an NBA player or the average guy. We're human beings. I appreciate him coming out."
