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Aug 20, 2023

Warriors' Stephen Curry back into MVP form

Rodney Hood (1) of the Cleveland Cavaliers guards Klay Thompson (11) of the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena on December 5, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason

Rodney Hood (1) of the Cleveland Cavaliers guards Klay Thompson (11) of the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena on December 5, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Cleveland Cavaliers' Cedi Osman, right, from Turkey, shoots over Golden State Warriors' Andre Iguodala in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Rodney Hood (1) and Collin Sexton (2) of the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrate after Sexton hit a three point shot during the first half against the Golden State Warriors at Quicken Loans Arena on December 5, 2018 in Cleveland. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

George Hill (3) of the Cleveland Cavaliers tries to block Stephen Curry (30) of the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena on December 5, 2018 in Cleveland. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Rodney Hood (1) of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the fans celebrate after Hood hit a buzzer beater at the end of the first half against the Golden State Warriors at Quicken Loans Arena on December 5, 2018 in Cleveland. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

(Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Cleveland Cavaliers' Larry Nance Jr. (22) drives past Golden State Warriors' Kevin Durant (35) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Cleveland Cavaliers' Rodney Hood (1) shoots over Golden State Warriors' Jordan Bell (2) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Cleveland Cavaliers' Tristan Thompson (13) drives past Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson (11) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Cleveland Cavaliers' George Hill (3) looks to pass against Golden State Warriors' Jonas Jerebko (21), from Sweden, in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Cleveland Cavaliers' Alec Burks (10) shoots against Golden State Warriors' Quinn Cook (4) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 5: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors dunks during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on December 5, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 129-105. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 5: Cedi Osman #16 of the Cleveland Cavaliers guards Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors during the second half at Quicken Loans Arena on December 5, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 129-105. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 5: Jordan Clarkson #8 of the Cleveland Cavaliers guards Jonas Jerebko #21 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena on December 5, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 5: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors shoots over Rodney Hood #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena on December 5, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green (23) fouls Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James (23) in the second quarter of Game 1 of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, May 31, 2018. Green received a technical on the play. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James (23) drives against Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) during the second quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on Wednesday, June 6, 2018. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Golden State Warriors' Kevin Durant (35) shoots over Cleveland Cavaliers' Tristan Thompson (13) in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, in Cleveland. The Warriors won 129-105. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Golden State Warriors' Kevin Durant (35) shoots over Cleveland Cavaliers' Tristan Thompson (13) in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, in Cleveland. The Warriors won 129-105. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Golden State Warriors' Kevin Durant (35) drives past Cleveland Cavaliers' Larry Nance Jr. (22) in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, in Cleveland. The Warriors won 129-105. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, left, drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers' Tristan Thompson in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, in Cleveland. The Warriors won 129-105. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

CLEVELAND — Six months passed, and this atmosphere looks and feels different.

The poster of LeBron James no longer hangs outside of the Cavaliers’ arena. The arena appeared nearly half-full. And with James’ departure to the Los Angeles Lakers last summer, the Warriors showed in a 129-105 win over the Cavaliers on Wednesday that they no longer view this matchup as an NBA Finals preview.

“It was a little weird,” Warriors guard Stephen Curry said. “Just tried to keep the energy up and focus on how we were playing.”

If only it were that easy. When the Warriors took the floor, Kevin Durant noticed the lack of cameramen surrounding the court. “It was a circus here during the Finals,” Durant noticed.

That circus surrounded the Warriors and Cavaliers for the last four years. The Warriors won an NBA title in 2015, marking their first title since 1975. The Warriors then squandered a 3-1 Finals series lead in 2016. The Warriors brought Durant on board with Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, resulting in two consecutive championships in 2017 (4-1) and 2018 (4-0).

Since that circus left, the Warriors showed how their latest game against Cleveland could serve as a forgettable regular-season game that causes them to sleepwalk. As Warriors coach Steve Kerr observed, “It felt quiet from what we’re used to for obvious reasons. It’s not the same out there.”

“It’s just different walking into the building,” Kerr said. “There’s a ton of great memories and some of the best basketball I’ve ever seen in my life between these two teams over the last four seasons.”

The Warriors (17-9) did not play their best basketball against the Cavaliers,, but they still satisfied the bottom-line results. They cemented a two-game winning streak with two feel-good wins against rebuilding teams in Atlanta and Cleveland. They showed their dominance with a third-quarter run that entailed outscoring the Cavaliers, 31-22, and having a stretch with 11 unanswered points. And in his third game since nursing a strained left groin, Curry has fully become himself again. He finished with 42 points, while shooting 11-of-20 from the field, 9-fo-14 from 3-point range and 11-of-12 from the free-throw line.

Not that the Warriors are surprised their star player looks the same despite missing 11 games this month with his injury.

“It’s pretty rare,” Kerr said. “But Steph is rare in general in everything he does.”

Only the Cavs initially treated this game with NBA Finals intensity. They finished with a 64-58 halftime lead after the Warriors committed six of their eight turnovers and conceded 20 points in the paint. Kerr charged the Cavaliers “totally outplayed us” before “our talent took over in the second half.”

Durant posted 25 points, including 15 in the third quarter. Warriors center Kevon Looney (eight points, six rebounds) and Jonas Jerebko (11 points, four rebounds) have further cemented themselves as dependable role players. And in his first game since missing the previous nine with a bone bruise on his left foot, Alfonzo McKinnie added five points and five rebounds.

Still, the Warriors’ opponent looked much different. James is with the Lakers. Kyrie Irving has been in Boston. Kevin Love is hurt. J.R. Smith is away from the team so it can make a trade. Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton, who had a team-leading 21 points, is a rookie. Jordan Clarkson (17 points), Cedi Osman (16) and Rodney Hood (15) did not play significant roles in last season’s Finals. Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson, who had 14 points and 19 rebounds, is the lone exception.

“Obviously it’s different. They don’t have a championship caliber team,” Durant said. “But they have a young team that is up and coming.”

Therefore, Curry and Kerr conceded they considered the rivalry to be dead.

“For sure. That stuff generally dissipates over time,” Kerr said. “This case, it’s an entirely new cast of characters.”

And apparently an entirely new locker room. Green posted on his Instagram story a video of the locker room and mused, “they got rid of the champagne fumes this time!”

“I didn’t think about it,” Curry said. “We got a lot bigger things to worry about in terms of where we’re trying to go this year.”

The Warriors’ star has long reached the point where nothing he does surprises his teammates or his coaches.

“We rely on him to be the same way,” Durant said. “He’s coming in and is trying to pick up where he left off. We’re trying to do our best to support that.”

Curry does not simply just pick up the ball, dribble and shoot. Ever since injuring his left groin on Nov. 8 against Milwaukee, Curry stayed active with his regimen to ensure he did not stay rusty.

“He keeps himself in amazing shape all season,” Kerr said. “That allows him to come back pretty quickly when there is an injury. He has a pretty good conditioning foundation.”

Nothing seems to faze Jerebko. He loves his new gig. He has remained reliable. And he sounded apathetic surrounding the hyper focus on the Warriors, whether it’s involving their dominant play, their recent hiccups or last month’s argument with Durant and Green.

“The circus, I like it. It’s always fun to play when people care and you always got full gyms,” Jerebko said. “I don’t see it that way. It’s more fun. I don’t feel extra pressure. It’s fun when the gym is full and people are yelling. Even it’s bad things, I don’t care.”

What does Jerebko hear?

“I hear it all the time. It doesn’t matter if I’m on the Warriors or on another team. I always hear things,” Jerebko said. “I just take it as some fuel to the fire sometimes. Mostly its just fun and games.”

Good thing he has that mindset. The Warriors seemed more worried than Jerebko about his training camp struggles after signing with the team last summer after Utah waived him.

Jerebko went scoreless and played only six minutes in the Warriors’ season-opening win over the Thunder. He averaged 3.8 points on 31.8 percent shooting, 3.4 rebounds in only 14.8 minutes through five exhibition games.

“He looked slow and looked a step behind,” Kerr said. “I think everybody was kind of worried.”

Those worries evaporated when Jerebko made a game-winning putback against Utah on Oct. 19. Recently, though, Jerebko has become even more dependable. On the Warriors’ trip, he has logged double-digit scoring performances in three of the their four games.

“Once he broke through that barrier conditioning wise, he’s been great,” Kerr said. “He’s been great all season long. He’s been aggressive, tough and hell of a rebounder and he executes offensively.”

Curry is not the only one that has returned quickly from injury. So did McKinnie, who had five points on 2-of-4 shooting and five rebounds in 13 minutes.

“It’s great to see him back. He generated a ton of extra possessions for us,” Kerr said. “He was really good. We missed him.”

Steph Curry has ice on his left wrist again. But he said he’s “doing great.” Said it’s all for maintenance pic.twitter.com/TAvA1f7mIT

— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) December 5, 2018

The ice packs stayed bandaged around Curry’s left wrist following morning shootaround. So how is it?

“It is great! It is fantastic,” Curry said. “I’m just glad I don’t play golf for a living.”

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