Dub Hub, Daily Warriors Links for 4/21/23: “They say Draymond’s got a history, so do we”

Good Morning Dub Nation,

In the face of great adversity, the Golden State Warriors came through with a massive 114-97 season-saving victory against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night. The Warriors showed a level of focus and sense of urgency which galvanized the team despite being down arguably their two best defenders in Draymond Green (suspension) and Gary Payton II (illness)

As per usual, Stephen Curry set the tone with 36 points on 12-of-25 shooting from the field including 6 made threes. However, the aspect of Curry’s Game 3 performance which stood out the most was his minutes rotation. In a fascinating adjustment, head coach Steve Kerr played Curry in shorter bursts than usual — keeping his rest down while limiting the length of time the Kings get to play with him off the court.

Aside from Curry, the player who stepped up the most was Warriors’ center Kevon Looney. The always reliable center was asked to do more in the absence of Green, and — as has been the case throughout his career with the Warriors — he accomplished his team’s request in spectacular fashion: 4 points, 9 assists, 20 rebounds, and only 2 turnovers. Golden State may have found something attacking Sacramento with one big, so it’ll be something to keep an eye on as the series moves forward.

Not to be overshadowed was the excellent play from second-year guard Moses Moody. While he hasn’t seen much playing time during the regular season, Moody’s 13 points in 16 minutes of action is a major testament to his ability to stay ready no matter the circumstances.

Overall, it was a very positive night for a Warriors team fighting its way back as the Chase Center home crowd provided just what the team needed to bring the series to 2-1. Just like that, the defending champs are right back in it with Game 4 set to go on Sunday.

Here are the rest of today’s stories:

In case you missed it from Golden State of Mind:

• How the Warriors adjusted without Draymond Green and Gary Payton II
• Player grades: Game 3
• A statement blowout
• Former Warriors assistant is first unanimous Coach of the Year
• Bob Myers addresses the Draymond Green suspension ahead of Game 3

Other Warriors News:

• How Kevon Looney nullified Draymond Green’s absence, solidified Warriors in Game 3 win (The Athletic)
• Stephen Curry on Warriors’ Game 3 win: ‘We gave ourselves life’ (ESPN)
• Warriors outhustle, outmuscle Kings to remind the NBA and fans who they are (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Kevon Looney jokingly won’t share rebounding secret after huge Game 3 (NBC Sports Bay Area)
• Warriors can run table on Kings after Game 3 win, Juan Toscano-Anderson says (NBC Sports Bay Area)

NBA News:

• Kawhi Leonard’s injury ‘very deflating,’ Clippers’ Ty Lue says (ESPN)
• Joel Embiid is 7 Feet, 280 Pounds and Dribbles Like a Guard (New York Times)
• Anonymous NBA Player Poll 2023: Players tell us the biggest issues facing the league today (The Athletic)
• Vorkunov: What warrants an NBA ejection? It’s anyone’s guess, including the refs (The Athletic)
• Malcolm Brogdon named 2022-23 Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year (NBA)

A tweet to end the week:

While Looney’s stats made him look like a rebounding machine, his teammate Andre Iguodala had a different take on the 4 points, 20 rebounds performance. Enjoy the weekend Dub Nation!