“When you look at Steph, Draymond, Klay... that experience of being in 5 Finals, it showed tonight” - 3-time NBA champion lauds Golden State Warriors’ big-3 for stepping up in Game 1 win over Dallas
Former multi-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade praised Golden State Warriors stars Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green following their Game 1 blowout win over Dallas.
Wade outlined Curry, Thompson and Green's experience playing in five NBA Finals as one of the key reasons behind the Dubs' win over the Mavericks on Wednesday.
The trio played their roles to perfection, making sure the Golden State Warriors produced a clinical performance to protect the homecourt in the first match of this enthralling Western Conference Finals matchup.
Here's what Dwyane Wade had to say about it on TNT's "Inside The NBA" show:
"When you look at Steph Curry, you look at Draymond, look at Klay, their leadership, that experience of being in 5 Finals, it showed tonight. They came out, they didn't play with the game, you saw their focus, you saw Draymond focus early on."
Wade continued:
"I mean these guys was covering the floor on the defensive end all-around, but offensively, who do you guard? Tonight everybody got the chance to have the ball and feel free and shoot the basketball and score. This was the way this team was supposed to come out in Game 1 vs the team that have not been here."
Golden State Warriors' big-three show up in Game 1 vs Dallas Mavericks
The Golden State Warriors have gotten off to a flying start in their 2022 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Finals matchup against the Dallas Mavericks. The Warriors won Game 1 by an impressive 112-87 margin at home.
It was a great team performance from Steve Kerr's men. Their superstars Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were impressive on the night, which was vital to the Dubs' success.
Curry didn't have an efficient game offensively, as he scored 21 points on 43% shooting. However, he compensated for that with his all-round game. He registered a game-high 12 rebounds while dismantling Dallas' defense with his off-ball movement, creating ample opportunities for his teammates.
Meanwhile, Thompson registered all 15 of his points in the second half. He shot seven of nine from the floor during that stretch, which proved crucial for the Golden State Warriors in extending their eight-point lead entering the break.
Draymond Green continued to prove why he's the backbone of the Warriors' set-up at both ends of the floor with another brilliant two-way performance. He scored ten points on four of six shooting while tallying nine rebounds, two steals and a block.
The Golden State Warriors held the Dallas Mavericks to just 36% shooting from the floor, including 22% from the arc. Inspired by their three superstars, the rest of the crew also showed up in style as four other players scored in double-digits.
Golden State made 56.1% of their shots from the field, making adept adjustments to recover from their below-par shooting night from the arc.