MIAMI — Here are five observations from the Golden State Warriors’ 113-92 road win over a short-handed Miami Heat team Tuesday night that temporarily stabilized their wobbly place in the standings.
The Heat ruled Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson out Monday afternoon. So the Warriors prepped in advance to face a Heat team without its two best floor spacers, figuring coach Erik Spoelstra would lean defense. Kevin Love and Jimmy Butler were then ruled out two hours before tipoff, further dragging Spoelstra into a desperate rotational state.
So the Warriors anticipated zone, full-court press and various schemes from Miami in an attempt to drag the action into the mud. In response, coach Steve Kerr started Thompson in Brandin Podziemski’s spot.
“Get a little more spacing on the floor to start the game,” Kerr said. “It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s permanent. Just felt like tonight it was important.”
After nearly a decade starting, Thompson moved to the bench in mid-February. He has started four games since — twice for the injured Podziemski and twice for the injured Steph Curry. This was the first time since the reassignment that Kerr started Thompson next to Curry when Podziemski was available.
Part of Kerr’s recent rationale for continuing to start Curry, Podziemski, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Green was numbers-based. That five-man group is a plus-59 in 232 minutes together. Podziemski, as Kerr likes to note, has the best individual plus-minus on the team — plus-217, nearly 100 higher than anyone else.
But Tuesday night’s five-man starting group — replacing Podziemski with Thompson — is starting to compile a decent sample size and the output has been even more efficient. They’re outscoring opponents by 55 points in 157 minutes together.
That included a demolition of the short-handed Heat. That group outscored Miami 42-19 in 23 minutes, blasting off to a 13-5 lead (which included three Thompson buckets) and opening the second half with a 20-12 surge to regain control of the game.
Kerr opted to go back to them in crunchtime, bringing the Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Kuminga and Green lineup together with 5:20 left and the Warriors up 96-85. Over the next two minutes, they went on a 9-0 run to slam the door — Kuminga lob dunk, Wiggins layup and two Thompson jumpers to complete a blowout.
Kerr didn’t commit to sticking with that starting lineup in Orlando on Wednesday or beyond, but the numbers and Thompson’s recent hot stretch would justify it.
2. Thompson’s hot stretch
Thompson’s 28 points against the Heat included six 3s. He played 31 minutes, which has been a near-normal amount for him recently even when he was coming off the bench. Kerr has kept Thompson in high usage because he has quietly been on a long run of consistent production.
In his past 19 games — beginning the night that Kerr controversially moved him to the bench — Thompson is averaging 18.6 points on 47.6 percent overall and 42 percent on a high volume of 3s. His 76 makes from deep in that time frame are the most in the NBA, 11 makes ahead of Curry on 10 fewer attempts.
“Hmm, this guy’s trying to jinx me,” Thompson said when relayed his numbers. “I feel good. I’d like to repeat this performance tomorrow night in Orlando because these games are so crucial obviously.”
3. Draymond’s defense
The Warriors held the Heat to 92 points on 40 percent shooting and 24 percent from 3. Miami couldn’t get much going, in part, because of its limited personnel. But the Warriors didn’t make it easy. This was one of their more focused end-to-end defensive performances in the last couple of weeks.
Plenty of credit lies at the feet of Green. He was given the Bam Adebayo assignment and held his own repeatedly in one-on-one scenarios, forcing Adebayo into contested fadeaway jumpers. Adebayo made a handful, but he also missed a bunch and the Warriors never felt threatened to send help Green’s way, allowing them to stay home on shooters.
Here is probably Green’s best defensive possession of the day. Because of a transition scramble, he starts on Patty Mills at the bottom of the screen. The Heat see this and try to get Adebayo a post-up against Moses Moody.
But Green doesn’t allow it. He works his way across the floor, literally drags Moody off of the matchup, forces Adebayo to pass it away and then, after the ball finds itself back in Adebayo’s hands, he muscles him into the deep corner and contests a rushed jumper — it air-balls. Shot clock violation.
4. Looney appearance
Trayce Jackson-Davis missed Tuesday night’s game because of knee soreness, elevating Kevon Looney back into the rotation as the backup center. Looney gave 19 steady minutes, scored three times, grabbed six rebounds and helped defend Adebayo.
Kerr has mentioned three times recently how much he believes the Warriors have been missing Looney’s voice and presence on the court. The third of those mentions came pregame in Miami when Kerr was discussing how “quiet” the Warriors are defensively. Looney is one of their better communicators.
But Looney doesn’t have a clear path back to a regular role. Green is the team’s primary center, unlocking the lineups that work best. And Jackson-Davis has earned the extended opportunity with some promising play that can help now and better set up the Warriors’ front line of the future. Looney is the third center on a team that only deploys two.
Draymond Green and Steve Kerr have called the Warriors a “quiet” team this season, which impacts them defensively.
“If you’re quiet, switching is harder. We definitely need to be louder.” pic.twitter.com/NfOoLaa8vh
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 26, 2024
5. Standings watch
The win bumped the Warriors back up a game on the Houston Rockets for the 10th seed in the West. They hold the tiebreaker, so it’s essentially a two-game advantage. Above them, the Los Angeles Lakers escaped with a double overtime win against the Bucks in Milwaukee, staying two ahead of the Warriors in the loss column.
Wednesday brings some action. The Warriors are in Orlando to face a tough Magic team, while the Rockets are in Oklahoma City to face the Thunder.
(Photo: Sam Navarro / USA Today)