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The Warriors have had some pretty huge concentration lapses lately.
Against the Trailblazers, they committed 13 turnovers in the third quarter. Against the Clippers, they gave up 13 straight points in less than two minutes. Against the Hawks today, they gave up a twenty point lead in one quarter.
Though the Hawks played amazing, the Warriors looked lethargic and uncommitted. It might be a simple case of boredom: when everything's going their way, as it was earlier in the night, the Dubs forget what exactly makes them so special.
Most nights, it's Draymond Green's spirit or Stephen Curry's sheer brilliance that saves the Warriors in the end. Today, it was the underappreciated Andrew Bogut, whose toughness and grit gave the Warriors that iron defense that has been missing at times this season. Over the final stretch in the fourth quarter, Bogut rallied the team through perfectly timed blocks and crucial rebounds. He ended the game with only three points, but he made his presence felt on every play despite his ailing Achilles, which caused him to sit out last game.
Stephen Curry scored 36 points in a masterful display, and Klay Thompson had 27, but the offense shouldn't be remembered in this game. The championship defense that allowed only 15 and 17 points in the first and final frames should.
The Takes
Steve Kerr to @warriorsvox on Jason Thompson: "It was not a good fit, frankly. We play small at the four with Draymond and Harrison."
— Diamond Leung (@diamond83) February 23, 2016
Curry just hit an impossible shot. It wasn't possible.
— Ethan Strauss (@SherwoodStrauss) February 23, 2016
"Hahahahahahahaha," he said at a Steph Curry shot for the millionth time
— Dan Devine (@YourManDevine) February 23, 2016
Warriors hold the Hawks to 39 first-half points, the 5th time they've held an opponent to fewer than 40 points in the first half this season
— GSWStats (@gswstats) February 23, 2016
Warriors hang on to a 76-75 lead entering the fourth quarter. Dubs are 44-0 this season when leading after three frames
— GSWStats (@gswstats) February 23, 2016
I lied. It's a bunch of Steph. He was amazing:
1-on-4, whatever. https://t.co/Xbohj1gSWS
— Rob Perez (@World_Wide_Wob) February 23, 2016
Steph. Curry. https://t.co/z7tEqqkTci
— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) February 23, 2016
C'mon, Steph. https://t.co/rcDiGy35U4
— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) February 23, 2016