The Golden State Warriors pulled off a dramatic win on Thursday night, turning a 22-point first-quarter deficit into a two-point win as they bested the Brooklyn Nets for their third straight victory. Let’s see how the fanbase reacted in real time to the win, by pulling comments from the Golden State of Mind gamethread.
Pre-game: “Let’s get this win”
Fans were justifiably excited going into the game. The Warriors had gone 3-1 on the road trip entering the finale, and had a chance to head home on a high, while holding sole possession of the sixth seed in the West.
First quarter: “Can the Warriors score at all?”
The game started with perhaps the worst quarter of the season. Less than a minute in, guard Brandin Podziemski suffered a mild back injury and went to the locker room; he wouldn’t return. Golden State couldn’t buy a bucket, and the Nets were red-hot, seemingly making every three. There was a lot of frustration from the Warriors over the refereeing, as Brooklyn wasn’t called for a single foul in the quarter. The Warriors fell behind by 22 points, and trailed 35-15 at the end of the frame.
Second quarter: “Steph doing Steph things”
Golden State slowly started chipping away at the lead in the second quarter. It took awhile, but they finally made it a single-digit game late in the half, and they trailed 60-55 at halftime following a buzzer-beating three from Steph Curry ... and one of the best shots you’ll ever see.
Third quarter: “FUGLY quarter”
The Warriors rode their momentum at the start of the third quarter, and quickly took their first lead of the game. But things turned as the quarter went on. Brooklyn re-took the lead, and the Warriors offense ground to a halt. It was a close and thrilling game, but certainly not the stuff that inspires basketball poetry. The Warriors trailed 89-86 at the end of the quarter, with Buddy Hield missing on seemingly every possession.
Fourth quarter: “A win is a win”
Golden State quickly took control in the fourth quarter. For a while it looked like they might run away with things, as they turned the 22-point deficit into a double-digit lead. They seemed to clinch it late, with a Curry three pushing the lead to 10 points with just 1:01 remaining. But some sloppiness allowed the Nets to come roaring back, and it was a tense ending before a 121-119 victory.
Post-game: “The clutch returns to the Bay”
It wasn’t pretty, but the Warriors escaped with a win. It gave them a 10-1 record in games that Jimmy Butler III plays in, and gives them momentum heading into a seven-game home-stand. There’s work to be done, but things are trending up.