default-cbs-image

OAKLAND, Calif. -- After the Warriors’ ugly come-from-behind win over the 76ers on Tuesday, the catalyst of that comeback, Draymond Green, talked about his team needing to grind its way through this rut. “It’s not going to be pretty,” he said. “The shots just aren’t going to fall.”

Two days later, the shots fell. 

During the Warriors’ 122-92 demolishing of the Magic on Thursday night, Klay Thompson poured in 29 points on 12-of-20 (5 of 9 from 3) shooting. Thompson’s hot hand kick-started the Warriors to an easy blowout win in which they finally looked like the Warriors again, wrapped up the Pacific Division for the third straight season, and clinched home court in the first round of the playoffs.

Stephen Curry made at least 50 percent of his shots for just the second time this month. Andre Iguodala looked 25 again. Green was his usual versatile self, posting a nine-point, 11-rebound, six-assist, one-steal, one-block stat line. And as Thompson, Green and Steve Kerr were all quick to point out, the Warriors defended for an entire game. They forced 21 turnovers, which led to 36 points.

“That’s the main thing: When you can make stops, it solves a lot of problems,” Kerr said. “We’ve kind of struggled to score a little bit the last couple weeks, but tonight we broke through and had 36 assists and 122 points. So, great offensive night, but it always starts with the defense.”

Finally, the Warriors blew out a bad team they were supposed to blow out -- a team that actually tried putting six players on the court, for which they drew a technical foul. That might not seem like a huge accomplishment for a Warriors team with dynasty aspirations, but it’s been a while since it’s happened. It’s the first time this month they’ve won a game by double digits, despite facing teams like the 76ers, Knicks and Bulls.

“It felt good to have a big margin of victory, because we haven’t had one of those in a while,” Thompson said.

It started with him. Thompson hit eight of his nine first shots. In the first quarter, he outscored the entire Magic team 21-20, despite missing the final two-plus minutes.

Thompson cooled off a tad by the time he checked back into the game in the second quarter, but he still finished with 29 points. In his past three games, Thompson is shooting 13 of 24 from deep. He’s back.

But while one Splash Brother returned Thursday, the other still hasn’t fully woken up. Curry struggled mightily in the win over the 76ers, but his improved performance in the final quarter (3 of 5 from beyond the arc) gave hope that the end of his insert noun that isn’t “slump” was over.

Well, it’s not. From 3-point range on Thursday, Curry went 2 of 7. He did experience this vintage Curry moment, though:

The bottom line: Curry still isn’t himself from deep. He’s still missing open 3s. We’re at the point now where every time he does something positive, we all wonder if this is the moment that shakes him free of his woes.

It still hasn’t happened. Since Feb. 27, when he went 0-11 from 3 in Philadelphia, Curry is shooting 25 of 96 from 3, which equals 26 percent. So no, things still aren’t perfect in Oakland.

With that being said, let’s look at what else Curry did against the Magic: He assisted on nine buckets, shot 6 of 8 from inside the 3-point line, got to the free-throw line seven times (he made all seven), and totaled three steals. Most importantly, after leaving almost immediately with an ankle injury, he returned to the court. He’s fine. That’s what ultimately matters for a Warriors team that is still trying to figure out how to play without Kevin Durant.

“It’s easy to say well he wasn’t here the last two years and we won all those games,” Kerr said before the game. “It’s different. This is a totally different team. Half the roster was turned over. This team doesn’t have experience without Kevin -- until now. We are adapting and adjusting. You are talking about one of the very best players in the league. It’s a huge hole to fill. Some of it is just guys getting out there and performing and some of it is the coaching staff finding the right combinations and the right patterns and making sure we are all moving forward together. That’s the process we are in right now.”

Thursday marked a step in the right direction, because Curry didn’t need to be an MVP for the Warriors to coast to a win. Thompson supplied the heavy artillery. They played defense, generating turnovers to get them running. And Iguodala often led the way, turning into the third consistent scorer the team’s been missing.

“When he plays at this level, where he’s been the last several weeks, we get a different dimension,” Kerr said. “He’s been fantastic. He just looks bouncy -- pushing the ball at every opportunity.”

By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the Warriors had built a 32-point lead and their starters weren’t needed. Fans headed for the exits with plenty of time still showing on the clock. It felt like a complete 180 from their loss to the Celtics earlier this month when the visiting fans filled Oracle with “MVP” chants for Isaiah Thomas. Curry, Thompson, and Green all got off the court after less than 30 minutes.

“Good night at the office,” Green said.

For one good night, the Warriors finally became the Warriors again. For a team that’s been grinding its way through a rut, that’s important -- even if it did come with the help of some Magic.