Monday night looked as predicted, in some ways.
It was a battle of two struggling teams, looking to pick up the pace in the last remaining 30-or-so games to hopefully squeeze into a postseason spot.
In other ways, it was surprising, such as seeing the Warriors go cold from beyond the arc for most of the first half before Stephen Curry finally delivered — scoring 10 points in the second quarter — with the Nets holding a six-point halftime lead.
Despite the scoring slump and eight lead changes, the Warriors went on a late run to send the Nets to a 109-98 defeat at Barclays Center, the home team’s fourth loss in the past seven games.
Curry scored a game-high 29 points, despite shooting 4-for-11 from deep. The Warriors’ star was aided by double-doubles from Jonathan Kuminga (28 points, 10 rebounds) and Brandin Podziemski (15 points, 11 rebounds).
Cam Thomas’ 18 points led a balanced Brooklyn attack, with six players in double figures. Nic Claxton, who was ejected in the fourth quarter for a type 2 flagrant foul, followed with 15 points and blocked a career-high seven shots.
The cold opening was not anticipated by coach Jacque Vaughn.
“We have to be extremely disciplined in our approach [Monday] and then be able to move on to the next play because they’re going to make shots, and they’re going to make some ridiculous shots. And we just have to move on to the next play,” he said before the game.
“Ridiculous” was nowhere to be found Monday, so the Warriors looked to the paint, scoring 72 of their points inside. They also dominated the Nets on the glass with 60 rebounds to Brooklyn’s 38.
Two consecutive dunks made by Kuminga started the Warriors’ run 8-3 in the third quarter that kept them within one or two points of the Nets before Golden State took a 75-70 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Nets were running on fumes by the end.
When Curry reentered the game with under nine minutes to go, he fed off the energy of Draymond Green’s wide-open layup and Lester Quinones’ easy jumper.
On the following possession, Curry missed a floater and grabbed his own rebound before scoring.
On the next play, he nailed a step-back 3-pointer to give the Warriors a 89-80 lead with 6:21 to go.
But the worst was still to come after Podziemski grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled by Claxton, which the officials called “unnecessary” and “aggressive” — resulting in an ejection that left the Nets undersized.
Royce O’Neale’s two 3-pointers kept the Nets close with under four minutes to play, down 94-88.
But the Nets’ lack of size came back to haunt them, giving up offensive rebounds and fouling the larger Warriors.
With under three minutes to go, O’Neale fouled Kuminga, who made one foul shot.
Shortly after, Curry finished the Nets off, driving down the lane for two layups on subsequent possessions, earning a foul on the second for a three-point play to make it a 105-94 game with 1:19 left.