NBA: Warriors look to stay hot on homestand with visit from Heat

The Golden State Warriors look to cap off a highly successful homestand when they start a back-to-back set against the Miami Heat on Monday night in San Francisco.

Despite a late scratch from Jimmy Butler, the Warriors stayed focused and relied on their depth to win their third straight game and fifth in six at home. Golden State dominated the Charlotte Hornets 136-116 on Saturday night.

The win tied the Warriors’ longest streak of the season and pushed the team five games above .500 for the first time this year. Their homestand wraps up Tuesday night against the Toronto Raptors.

“We’re in a good groove,” coach Steve Kerr told reporters after the game. “We needed this homestand. This is the most momentum we’ve had since we started out 4-1.”

“It feels good. A lot of guys are really contributing, and we’re really taking care of the ball night after night and allowing ourselves to get shots on goal over and over again. When we do that, you see how much firepower we have.”

Interestingly, the Warriors’ streak has continued even while Stephen Curry has scored under 15 points in two of the last three games. Butler’s absence on Saturday also raised questions, but Golden State’s supporting cast stepped up.

Brandin Podziemski (50 points) and Moses Moody (47) combined to shoot 35-for-53 (66%) overall and 23-for-37 (62.2%) from three over the last three games. Meanwhile, De’Anthony Melton and Al Horford delivered a combined plus-108 plus/minus off the bench, powering the Warriors’ surge.

Kerr admitted that having a long home stretch with plenty of rest helped the team regain stability.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the run has come on this homestand with lots of rest,” he said. “It’s the first time we’ve felt really settled in a while.”

“With Melton and Al playing at the level they are, it just adds another dynamic to our game. Both those guys playing at such a high level has changed our team. The depth of our team right now is really our strength.”

Golden State struggled during its previous meeting with Miami in November. The game came on the second night of a back-to-back during a six-game road trip, and Kerr sat Curry, Butler, Horford, and Draymond Green.

The Heat won 110-96, led by Norman Powell’s 25 points, Bam Adebayo’s 20, and 17 from former Warrior Andrew Wiggins.

Like Golden State, Miami enters the rematch at the start of a back-to-back, beginning a five-games-in-seven-days road trip. The Heat will visit the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday.

The trip follows Miami’s biggest win of the season—a 122-120 thriller at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday. Adebayo led the way with 30 points and 12 rebounds.

Playing without Tyler Herro, who is expected to return from a rib injury during the road trip, Adebayo praised the Heat’s depth, especially rookie Myron Gardner, who scored 11 points.

“Myron is our energy. You need teammates like him,” Adebayo told reporters. “He’s the person that has this ‘kid energy.’ You know when kids run around all day and you’re always looking at them like, ‘I wish I had that much energy.’ He is that. He can spark us.”

—Field Level Media/Reuters