Durant notches triple-double as Curry sits
With elite facilitator like Steph Curry, it’s not often that you’ll see Kevin Durant operate as the primary ball handler. Wednesday night, Durant was given the reigns to the offense and hesitate to show out.
Matched up against the Charlotte Hornets, Durant took full advantage of Curry sitting out as he put together his first triple double of the season. He displayed his unmatched arsenal of moves and exploited every mismatch for 35 points, 11 boards and 10 assists.
Despite playing without Curry or Draymond Green, KD’s performance made the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and two time MVP seem like expendable pieces to their squad. Durant dominated Charlotte on both ends of the floor and Golden State took down the Charlotte Hornets 101-87 with relative ease.
KD excelled in a relatively unknown role and found a way to keep his teammates involved. Klay Thompson didn’t miss a beat, and with Durant hitting him with great passes on open looks, racked up 22 strikingly efficient points.
When it comes to shooting the three ball, few teams can match the pinpoint precision of the Warriors. However, when it comes to depth, there are no teams that come close.
Curry will continue to sit for another two weeks while he recovers from a sprained ankle, and Green remains a game to game decision as he nurses his sore shoulder. Even with two of their Allstars sidelined with injuries, the Warriors should fair just fine while their second unit fills in for their starters.
Golden State is a dangerous team when all of their pieces are healthy and working in perfect harmony, but give their bench players some more minutes to find their rhythm and they might just be unstoppable by the time their superstars return to the lineup.
It’s incredible that the Warriors can house the third best record in the NBA and still be considered an underachieving team, but Golden State always seems to hit their stride this time of the year and the rest of the NBA should be on the lookout.
They’re third for now, but that won’t last for long. They’ve been hot of late and they’re coming for the crown.
