Warrior Wonder: Teamwork!!!

The list of Golden State Warriors who were sidelined for Wednesday’s win against the Los Angeles Lakers was longer than . . . you know what, I’m not even going to find a simile. It was just really, long, okay?

There was no Stephen Curry, no Klay Thompson, no Draymond Green, no David West, and no Patrick McCaw. With 75% of the team’s All-Stars wearing formal attire, the thought was that Kevin Durant would need to have an enormous game to give the Dubs a chance.

Wrong. Durant was a facilitator as much as a scorer, and Golden State employed a full team effort in the 117-106 victory.

Balanced scoring

While the Warriors have had a hard time getting contributions from non All-Stars this year, that was nowhere to be found Wednesday. Nine players logged at least 18 minutes, and seven notched double figures in the points column.

Everyone got in on the action, and the team moved the ball to the tune of 25 assists (albeit with a very ugly 22 turnovers).

Everything easy for Zaza

For the second straight game, Zaza Pachulia balled out. In a return to the starting role, Pachulia made half of his shots, and ended up with an impressive stat line of 10 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists.

It was just the second double-double of the year for Pachulia. His first? The game before. After a few games of struggling big time, Pachulia reminded everyone how important he is to this team.

Swagalicious, baby

Nick Young replaced the injured Thompson, and did his best impression of the Splash Bro: 18 points on 6-13 shooting, including 3-8 from deep, and 10 in the third quarter alone. It was the most points Young has scored since opening night.

This version of Young would be a huge asset come playoff time.

Omri!

Omri Casspi was lauded as one of the best offseason signings for the Warriors, but he’s been virtually nonexistent as of late. It had been over a month since Casspi scored double figures, but a 7-8 night resulted in highly-efficient 15 points, his third-highest output of the season.

Casspi may not crack the playoff rotation. But he certainly showed how valuable he can be.

Quinn Cook had himself a game

Cook was making his third consecutive start, and he made the most of the opportunity. He scored in double figures for the first time since joining the Warriors, as he put in 13 points on 11 shots.

Cook showed some young player weaknesses, but also reinforced the asset that he can be.

Looney Tunes

With Green out, Kevon Looney got a rare start, and made the most of it. He tied his career-high with 11 points, eclipsing double figures for the third time in his career. He had a very strong all-around game, with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, and a team-high +17.

The Warriors need Looney in the playoffs. And it sure looks like he’s ready.

And, of course, KD

The teamwork stole the show, but Durant was, not surprisingly, the biggest star. KD had an efficient 26 points on 10-19 shooting, and got the teamwork flowing with 6 assists. It was a terrific all-around showing for one of the league’s biggest stars.