The Warriors throttled San Antonio from end to end in the previous meeting between the two Western Conference adversaries earlier this season. And Monday night was a golden opportunity (no pun intended) for the Spurs to exact their revenge for an embarrassing loss. Both squads were without a handful of noteworthy contributors, though the good guys used depth and stingy perimeter defense to curtail Golden State.
From the jump, the Silver and Black were on a mission to deny Steph Curry the basketball on every possession, crowding his air space and switching every screen in sight. While it wasn’t always perfectly executed, and the two-time MVP got loose for 13 points in the opening frame, their communication and relentless effort ensured the Curry wouldn’t get an attempt off unless he fought tooth and nail for an inch of daylight.