OAKLAND, Calif. _ Before a week of challenging tests against the Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets (twice), the Golden State Warriors were delivered a Friday night freebie. The free-falling Sacramento Kings were in town, lugging around one of the league's least talented rosters.
That meant a relatively drama-free win for the Warriors _ a 114-100 final _ with plenty of highlights for all and welcomed rest for the core guys. Steph Curry sat most of the fourth quarter of a fifth straight blowout win, which has saved him nearly 30 minutes of playing time over the past week-and-a-half.
But before Curry took a seat for the night, he was at the center of a pass-happy highlight fest, which started early and continued throughout. The Warriors had 37 assists on 44 made field goals, hitting 30-plus assists for a 44th time this season _ a new franchise record.
The team's fifth assist was Curry's second. It came with 4:46 left in the first quarter. Curry began a transition drive with a left-hand dribble. As he did, Kings newcomer Buddy Hield took a risky reach for a steal. Curry sense the Hield mistake, spun the dribble behind-his-back as Hield lunged into air and, in one motion, found Shaun Livingston, Hield's defensive assignment, cutting for an easy dunk.
The team's sixth assist was JaVale McGee's only assist of the night. It came seconds after Andre Iguodala missed a wing 3. The Kings looked in position to clear the rebound. But McGee galloped in and tipped it straight up in the air, pogo-sticking back up to snag the rebound.
Then he tossed it to Curry, who nailed a straight-on 3 _ three extra points created by McGee's hustle, which has been a theme of late. McGee had 10 rebounds in his 12 minutes, including six on the offensive end. In the big win in Oklahoma City earlier in the week, McGee kept alive three important offensive rebounds for three backbreaking second half 3s.
The team's seventh assist was Shaun Livingston's only assist of the night. It came with 41 seconds left in the first quarter, as the rampaging Warriors stormed out in transition for two of their 31 fastbreak points. With Curry on his left, Livingston looked the backpedalling defender in that direction while slipping a smooth lefty behind-the-back bounce back to Draymond Green for a layup (two of Green's 23 assists).
The passing, at that point, had become contagious, spilling over into the second quarter. Golden State assisted on 20 of its first 22 made field goals and finished the first half with 21, more than five NBA teams average per game.
The team's 25th assist came with 6:41 left in the third quarter. Late in what seemed to be a broken possession, the bulldozing Zaza Pachulia rumbled into the lane on an off-balance drive against a couple Kings. As he did, Pachulia shocked the world with an on-point no-look kick-out pass to Green, who nailed the first of his three 3s. Led by Kevin Durant, the bench erupted at the pass, imitating Pachulia for the next minute.
The team's 26th assist came on the next possession in similar fashion. Pachulia again made a sweet pass to again set up a Green 3 _ this time a cross-court seed from the low block to the wing. It put the Warriors up 77-60.
Pachulia finished the night with three assists. David West had four. Andre Iguodala had three. Ian Clark had three. And Steph Curry led the way with 12 dimes.
His 12th was his most spectacular. With 42 seconds left in the third quarter, Curry hopped into a passing lane, snaring a Skal Labissiere pass. Just as he caught it, Curry saw a streaking Igoudala down the right sideline. So to close a dominant 35-22 third quarter (traditionally the Warriors' best frame), Curry uncorked a deep slant pass. Iguodala completed the touchdown in style, grabbing it before going behind his back for a twirling layup.
A quarter later, the Warriors had completed the easy win, pushing them 2.5 games up on the chasing Spurs for the West's top seed.
