OAKLAND, Calif. _ The offense never seemed to be an issue, as the Golden State Warriors could rely on multiple All-Stars and 3-point specialists to score quickly. Aware of that depth, Warriors coach Steve Kerr has professed he worries little about that area.
Only a few days after saying those words, the Warriors encountered a Miami Heat team that suddenly found a way to neutralize all those offensive strengths. The Warriors still secured a 97-80 victory over the Heat on Monday at the Oracle, but it did not feature the kind of offensive clinic that usually lead to Warriors victories.
After all, the Warriors entered Monday's game with averaging an NBA-leading 120.7 points per game and posting at least 100 points in their first 10 games. They hadn't scored fewer than 100 points since winning, 97-80 over Utah on April 10, 2017, in a game Klay Thompson rested. It also marked only the 14th time in the past three seasons the Warriors did not crack the 100-point barrier, a trend that has led to a 3-11 record.
Though they often seemingly make any shots they take, Stephen Curry and Thompson entered the fourth quarter with a combined 29 points, while going 10-of-34 from the field and 5-of-17 from 3-point range.
Though he has cemented a regular-season and Finals MVP for his countless versatility, Kevin Durant mustered 21 points by drawing trips to the foul line (10-of-10) to make for his poor marksmanship from the field (5-of-13) and from 3-point range (1-of-6).
The latest reserve unit on the carousal rotation also yielded very little. The Heat reserves outscored the Warriors, 34-18. And after showing some relative improvement in their ball handling, the Warriors had issues with 13 turnovers.
Fortunately for the Warriors (8-3), they extended a four-game winning streak by compensating elsewhere. They entered the final period holding Miami (4-6) to a 34.8 percent clip and 21.1 mark from 3-point range, while also forcing 17 turnovers. The Warriors also went 22-of-24 from the foul line.
Warriors forward Draymond Green continued his string of aggressiveness, becoming the lone player to log double digits (13) on 50 percent shooting (4-of-8) along with seven rebounds and two assists. In the Warriors first' seven games, Green averaged 7.1 points on a 36.4 percent clip and admittedly lacked aggressiveness. In the Warriors' recent 3-0 trip, he logged 15.7 points on 75 percent shooting.
