Rewatch: 2015 Round 1, Game 1. NOP at GSW. Steph’s 34 vs AD’s 35
Time to re-live GSW's first title in 40 years.
Given the NBA season suspension, what better time to look back at the 2015 NBA Playoffs run, which ended the 40-year title drought. I’ll post a game every day, which should last us 21 games. Come watch along with me! These articles will be written as if the events were unfolding in real-time. The full series index is here.
Game Highlights
You can rewatch along with me here:
Box Score and Explain One Play
GSW 106, NOP 99 Box Score
Explain One Play: Inside the coaching chess match between the Warriors and Pelicans: Slowing (and freeing) Anthony Davis
Live Game Notes
It’s annoying that Mark Jackson is calling this game. I was even an initial supporter of not firing him last year, but it just gives everything a conflict-of-interest subtext.
Q1.11.30. A nervous start, Klay drops the ball and NOP turns that into a transition layup. Klay is an elite shooter, but his handle is still in progress.
10.37. AD with a turnaround from the elbow. I think GSW will take any shot like that. Davis is a half foot taller than Draymond so anything in the paint is a bucket, and you don’t want to give him open threes.
10.26. Steph takes over to settle the team. Ball fake, steps into a crazy hard leaning floating bank shot. Points at the ref to note the uncalled foul. Steph doesn’t get calls, but after he wins MVP this year, he’s sure to get more calls, right? RIGHT?
9.00. Klay-Bogut wing pick and roll. NOP is defending PNR with Asik showing above the level of the screen and recovering. Not fast enough, Bogut rolls hard for the alley-oop dunk.
8.26. Steph with a deep wing 3 in quick offense. Nails it. No one would ever let him do it, but it would be fun to watch him hoisting these looong shots freely all game.
7.11. Damn, Steph with a layup through three defenders. His threes make the headlines, but he’s quietly become one of the best finishers in the game.
6.05. Eric Gordon rattles in an isolation 3. No one would let him do it, but it would be fun to watch him in a spread pick and roll system. He might drop 50! At least that’s how I play him on 2K.
Bogut kind of went tunnel vision driving on Davis. Draymond was doing jumping jacks trying to attract the kick out. Then AD blocked Bogut into the next continent.
Steph on a relocation pitch to Dray in the corner, but Dray keeps it and drives on AD, another block.
I have this uneasy twinge every time I see Barnes hit a corner three, as if it’s one of the last times I’ll see him successfully hit a three. Ah, it’s probably nothing.
Steph can drive past the Pelicans bigs Asik and Ajinca at will.
With Bogut off the floor at start of Q2, NOP is attacking the rim hard and getting layups. Klay is getting some buckets, but the lead is eroding with Steph and Bogut off.
Q2.5:07. Hey it’s the classic Cyclone play. (2020 Eric: Hmm, I thought it made its debut against the Grizzlies, but here it is in Round 1.) Here’s a video about it and an old article.
Okay, Steph has now treated Asik, Ajinca and ANTHONY DAVIS as traffic cones on the way to layups.
Q2.1.06. Okay, NOP not messing around any more, they double Steph hard off the wing pick and roll. Dray with an ugly finish that Bogut dunks.
Q2.0.33. This is a sweet little play. Steph slows down to tempt AD into fouling him, then throws a physics defying bank shot. This Curry guy is actually fun to watch.
Q3.5.44. Another Curry trap at the top of the arc, Dray gets an open dunk this time. The lead’s been twenty all quarter. But GSW historically does get bored and lets teams back into games…
Q3.4.05. On cue, NOP cuts the lead to 16. Then Steph tosses in two straight 3s, one on a high pick and roll, which Ryan Anderson bizarrely plays with drop coverage, then another on a tight curl and instant catch in shoot in defender’s eyeball. 25 seconds, all the progress gone.
1.01. Ayesha and Sonya clapping and dancing, enjoying Steph’s backdoor cut layup. Seth and Dell look like they are having a slow heart attack.
In one of the patented “too chill to hold a big lead” moves, NOP drills a bunch of 3s and the 24 point lead is back to 11 in 2.5 game minutes. Yeesh. Maybe Seth and Dell saw it coming.
Curry back in a tad early at Q4.9:00. Hits an open 3 on a NOP scramble, then flare screen for Klay at the right wing. 3. Order restored. For now.
Q4.3.00. NOP will not quit and lead sliced to 10 again.
2.43. Super pretty Steph behind the back pass to Green (why do I get strange ominous feelings about that...? must be allergies) to a backdoor cut again, layup.
1.30. NOP seems to have figured out something about where to put AD. Seems to start at the elbow but gets the ball moving to the basket (instead of funky fade-away and jumpers), where he can use his height to muscle the ball in and dunk back rebounds.
0.57. Yep, now AD posting up Andre. Turnaround from 8 feet, good. Won’t be enough to catch up this game, unless the Warriors really mess this up, but look for more of this adjustment in Game 2.
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Niceeeeeee, I love it. Thanks Eric.
Someone please explain me what was it about, the reproach by Kerr to Dray. I give in exchange some Italian slang fun: we say “si è preso uno sciampoo” literally “Dray got shampooed by the coach, or even funnier hardcore Milano slang “ghe ga petinà i uregie”, “he combed Dray’s ears”
You fooled me. I thought that wink was going to be to the whole game. 😑