The Golden State Warriors responded to their worst loss of the season with perhaps their best.
Golden State jumped out early against a Milwaukee Bucks team that had won six-straight games. Despite a strong third quarter run from the visitors, the Warriors stymied it, then expanded their lead in a 125-90 win.
A strong response
The looming question entering this game was whether the Warriors, who have been atrocious against elite teams this year, would respond to a 52-point beatdown at the hands of the Boston Celtics.
They did that and more Wednesday night. It started early, with both Stephen Curry and Jonathan Kuminga contributing to a red-hot first half for Golden State.
Kuminga punished the Bucks early for putting Brook Lopez on him. Curry, meanwhile, turned fury over a non-call into a 5-point flurry and a brand-new golf celebration.
Despite a scorching first quarter from Bobby Portis (11 points and 5-of-5), and 18 first-half points, Golden State had answers.
They finished the half up 78-58, with as much as a 22-point lead. In that first half alone, Curry had 17 points (finished with 29 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists), Kuminga had 16 points (finished with 20 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks), and Chris Paul had 6 points and 6 assists.
Everyone contributed, especially on defense. And unlike in some of their unserious performances earlier this season, it began with a very serious start to the game. The two days off, coupled with early intention, paid dividends.
Trayce Jackson-Davis stops the bleeding in the 3rd
There was a real point in the third quarter when the Warriors could have folded. After that 20-point halftime lead, the Bucks came out on fire. Damian Lillard was a man possessed, leading Milwaukee to a 15-2 run.
But in came Trayce Jackson-Davis, with 5:33 left in the quarter. That was the demarcation point. When he entered, Golden State closed on a 42-13 run.
That's not a coincidence. He shut down Giannis Antetokounmpo, and he did it with infectious energy that permeated the building.
It started with a crazy sequence. On defense, he secured back-to-back blocks on Antetokounmpo, then ran down the other end for a lob to put the Warriors up 88-77.
Later in the quarter, he did it again. He swatted Antetokounmpo, then got a dish on the other end for a dunk. See both plays here . They're worth watching.
He had 11 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks in his first 10 minutes, and his effort alone stopped that third-quarter bleeding. An 18-point Warriors lead was cut to 12 in the third, but it could have been much worse.
Instead of accepting disaster, Jackson-Davis helped limit Antetokounmpo (23 points on 8-of-15 shooting, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 turnovers) and played outstanding on both ends. He finished with 15 points, 7 rebounds, a steal and 4 blocks. He was +20, second only to... Moses Moody.
The fourth, and Moses Moody's defense
After a shaky start to the third, there was a question of how the Warriors would start the fourth. Moses Moody shut those questions down immediately.
The fourth began with a Moody strip on Lillard, then a two-hand dunk. On the ensuing possession, Green swatted a Lillard floater, then drove for an and-one off a Chris Paul assist.
A couple possessions later, Moody forced a stop on Bobby Portis, and Green fed Kuminga for a layup. That 18-point lead was restored with 10 minutes to go, and extended to 21 after a Brandin Podziemski 3-pointer.
Moody was at the core of that good start in the fourth quarter. His defense and length was an evident issue for everyone on Milwaukee, including Antetokounmpo, and especially Lillard.
The defensive effort was apparent from everyone on the floor in the fourth, and so was the execution. Things started flowing as easily as they did in the first half. Jackson-Davis remained a huge contributor.
After forcing Antetokounmpo into a jumper (which he made), Jackson-Davis dunked home a missed Podziemski 3-pointer to continue his electric effort.
He and Green responded on the next defensive possession with a stop on Antetokounmpo. Then, Green, feeding off that energy, hit 3-pointers on back-to-back backpack possessions. That'll send a home crowd into a frenzy.
Green, by the way, was excellent outside of an ugly third quarter. He also got a deserved technical foul, but was stellar, finishing with 12 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks and 3 turnovers.
Jackson-Davis forced an Antetokounmpo turnover a couple possessions later. His impact was monumental, as was Moody's on Lillard to start the quarter. Moody finished with 6 points, 4 rebounds, an assist, steal, and block. His game-high +22 is the best indicator of his fourth-quarter performance.
Oh, and to close the game, Curry hit a few 3-pointers to put the game well out of reach.
When Golden State plays defense -- especially on stars -- as well as they did Wednesday night, great things usually happen.
They looked athletic, defensively astute, and confident against a contender after getting run out of the building in Boston. That's significant.
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