Rewatch: 2015 Round 1, Game 4. GSW at NOP. Steph’s 39 vs AD’s 36

The one after the one with the Shots

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:

Abaddon recommends this Steph-centric video:

Box Score

• GSW 109, NOP 98 Box Score

Live Game Notes

• Finally Steve Kerr has listened to the fans and unleashed Draymond Green and Dray scores the first seven points for the Warriors. Wait, what?

• Dray kindly lets Steph Curry score 3 on a quick pin down before popping another three of his own from the top of the arc. Good to let your role players get a shot or two so they stay warm.

• Q1.6.38. Curry with the gorgeous surprise layup. I love Steph’s finishing around the hoop. So creative, and every layup is different like little jewels.

• Bogut got two quick fouls, so Festus Ezeli is making his first big minutes appearance in the series. In related news, Anthony Davis is making his first big minutes appearance feasting on Ezeli.

• Barbosa, who I’ve mentioned is the Lord of chaos, throws a surprise chaotic pass on the break to Andre. Andre is prepared for chaos and makes a nice catch and scores.

• Draymond scores 13 points in the quarter as we all expected, but it was really nice for his role player Curry to chip in 14 bonus points.

• Q2.9.52. Barbosa, Lord of Chaos, gets blocked but of course rebounds off four players chaotically.

• Ryan Anderson finally scores after being held in check 0-2 in Q1. The spirit of Dirk may have left the building.

• 7.12. What a bullet pass from Shaun and a bullet catch from Draymond. Lots of awareness to even expect that pass was coming.

• 5.55. Steph 3 on a Floppy. Scores are coming out of cuts in the offense (and lots of transition), compared to G2 and G3.

• In contrast, NOP is scoring mainly on contested Js and tough layups. Doesn’t feel sustainable.

• 3.10. This is a set play where Klay curls off a pindown but Dray cuts baseline slipping the screen. But then, oh man, great D by NOP with back to back blocks, but the ball squirts to Steph and two men for a second go to Steph. Klay immediately flares out to the corner for a killer killer 3. What a back breaker. From 7 down with a fast break to 10 down.

• 2.30. Next play, Steph draws two on the PNR, behind the back kick out. Eric Gordon tries to split the difference between Dray and Klay and Klay drains it. Definitely need to go to one or the other and hope rotations work behind you.

• Klay has 13 in Q2, which we know by Klay standards is actually kind of slacking

• Steph with the last shot of Q2, the only time his conscience can truly be free, without wondering how he can feed his team family. Pull-up 3 from 28 over Ryan. Up 13.

• Q3.10.50. A gorgeous one handed overhand pass from Steph to a cutting Bogut. Steph’s turnovers keep him from being a top passer in the league, but his creativity and vision are definitely up there.

• 9.00. Kerr pulls out the somewhat rare high double screen for Steph, a 3.

• 8.38. OH MAN, I LOVE THAT PASS. Steph with the overhead blind no-look hook pass behind his head to Barnes. Definitely the feeling that one good push here could end the series.

• 5.40. Steph sees Asik waiting to trap him on the other side of Dray’s screen, rejects hard and drives all the way to a sweet floating layup.

• Then Klay with a “hey I may not play the fourth, better shoot now” long hashmark 3. Up 21.

• Now a runout dunk by Andre. 23.

• 3.04. Harrison was good at this specific diagonal cut. Dunk, is NOP just going to give up now?

• Q4.11.00. NOP needs offense, so it’s Ryan time. This time a Steph-back 3.

• 10.00. Holy cow, another Anderson tough jumper. It’s down to 12. Impressive fight for NOP.

• 8.00. Steph gets Ryan switched on to him, and it’s back to Isolating Private Ryan. This is a particularly lovely step back 3.

• 5.45. Steph actually intentionally gets AD switched onto him, then tried to draw a foul, then makes the shot anyway.

• 3.40. Wtf, again Steph isos AD on the perimeter, and then drops a stupendous three in his face. Steph, you realize AD is going to finish #4 in the Defensive Player of the Year vote, right? You’re not supposed to go way out of your way to iso him.

• 2.33. Eric Gordon with a nice 3 on I think the same play at the end of Game 3 where he almost won it at the end of OT.

• Steph blitzed at mid court in the PNR, AD sells out hard to stop Dray’s pass to a rolling Bogut, then awkward but effective layup drive by Dray.

• 1.00. That should be the end. Steph gets doubled on the wing, short roll pass to Dray, the ball swings around, everyone touches it, Klay gets the open 3. The beautiful game.

And so the Warriors pull out a clear series victory. G1 and G4 were clearly GSW wins, but G2 and G3 were luck of the draw. Have to imagine Anthony Davis and the Pelicans will keep getting better and scarier as he grows and reaches his peak.

The Memphis Grizzlies are up 3-0 on the Portland Trailblazers, so unless PDX can pull off a historic upset, we are going to see some Memphis barbecue next round.

See you tomorrow!

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