Warriors sweep the Jazz without breaking a sweat: 3 takeaways
The Golden State Warriors took care of business on Monday night, winning Game 4 over the Utah Jazz and completing the sweep.
Just as expected, the Warriors came into Vivint Smart Home Arena with one goal on their mind and 48 minutes later, they accomplished it, moving on to the next round. The Warriors took Game 4 by a score of 121-95. The stage shouldn’t be new for Golden State, it’ll be their third straight trip to the Western Conference Finals. The major difference from the last two years is that they weren’t undefeated going into this next round.
The Warriors came out and set the tone early in the game, getting off to a 39-17 start in the first quarter. It looked eerily similar to the closeout game in Portland, when they started the first quarter 45-22. Stephen Curry was a big reason for this, starting off with 14 points in the first frame. Curry finished the game with 30 points on 9-for-15 shooting, with 7 assists and 5 rebounds.
One thing that’s been underrated about the Warriors these past few years is that when they smell blood, they come for the kill. Kevin Durant and Draymond Green also had solid contributions in Game 4, finishing with a combined 35 points, 16 rebounds and 16 assists on 12-for-25 shooting.
The Jazz finally showed up in the second quarter and played desperate, but they were already behind the eight-ball. The Jazz ended the half down just eight points, behind Dante Exum and the second unit’s effort. But it was too little, too late. Gordon Hayward was a solo act in the third quarter, but to no avail, as the Warriors closed out the quarter on a 6-0 run. Hayward managed to have a solid game, finishing with 25 points and 5 rebounds.
Utah always seemed to be playing catch-up in this series and it was no different in Game 4. It’s hard against a team like Golden State, who possesses so much firepower, to always be playing catch up. It’s a formula that leads to you getting swept in the series. Here’s are few more takeaways from Game 4.
Takeaways
Utah’s slow starts were the death of them in this series. Look back at the four games, there were a few common themes. First, the Warriors won all of the games, regardless of which Warrior was doing the most damage. But second, Golden State consistently got off to a fast start in the first quarter and the Jazz were never able to catch up in any of the games.
After the first quarter in Game 1, the Warriors led by six, in Game 2, it was an 18-point lead and in Game 3 it was a 10-point lead. Game 4 was no different, as Stephen Curry had the Warriors off to a blazing start, which put the Dubs up 22 after the first frame.
This consistently means that the Jazz are playing a game of catch-up, a game that they’re not accustomed to playing. Utah wants to play a slow game, grind it out, while limiting the number of possessions that the opposition gets. But when you’re down a lot after the first quarter, you can’t necessarily use that strategy. Thus, the Jazz have been relegated to playing an up-and-down style of basketball that didn’t work for them.
Each win for Golden State featured a different star. The advantage to having four superstars on one team is that not all of them have to be playing at their best to win a best-of-seven series. The Warriors-Jazz Conference Semifinals is a perfect example of this.
Game 1 was a team effort, when Durant and Green dropped 17 points apiece and Curry ended the game with 22 points. Game 2 was the Draymond Green show, who had a fantastic all-round performance with 21 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals. Game 3 was all Kevin Durant, who had 38 points on a hot shooting night. Game 4 was all about the two-time MVP, Stephen Curry, who started off strong and finished the game with 30 points.
This is a great formula for success, with one featured star carrying the team, while the others plug in the holes to victory. If the Warriors are doing to the Jazz with one star playing well, imagine if they can get all four of them clicking together?
The Warriors will need Klay Thompson back on track. One of the things the Warriors would want to change moving forward in this series is Klay Thompson’s slump. Although it hasn’t been an issue because the Warriors have been sweeping teams, Thompson has been struggling to find his rhythm in the postseason so far.
In the three games against Utah, Klay Thompson has shot a combined 13-for-35, going 5-for-16 from 3-point range. He’s averaging a shade under 12 points per game, which is significantly down from his season average at 22.3 points per game. Game 4 was a little better for Klay, who scored 21 points on 9-for-16 shooting, but he was still only 1-for-3 from long distance.
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Thompson’s defense should be appreciated, constantly chasing Gordon Hayward and Utah’s guards in this series. But if the Warriors want to continue on this winning streak in the postseason, they should start by getting Thompson back on track, accustomed to the way fans in the Bay Area are seeing him.