On Wednesday, 2/22, Golden State put up their most entertaining quarter of the season, dropping 39 points on Phoenix in oft-spectacular fashion. They did so playing their fourth game in six nights—three of them on the road and all against tough lineups. Asking for a repeat against the Indiana Pacers might have been much, but coming off six days of All-Star Break rest, Warrior fans sure as heck didn’t expect this.

Granted, Indiana is a good team (21-12 entering play), and a team that sort of beat Golden State earlier this year in Oakland (the infamous missed kick-ball game). That said, Indiana had little to do with this opening act by the Dubs.

Charles Jenkins, the team’s 11th man, got the start in place of injured Steph Curry. Why not Nate Robinson? Coach Mark Jackson prefers not to disrupt his second unit (I imagine that’s at least part of the reason why Epke Udoh is still a reserve).

It was surprising to learn, with all of Curry’s injury problems and the playing time Robinson has received, that Robinson hadn’t started even once since joining the team two months ago. And I follow this team.

Anyway, back to the game.

Right out of the gate, Jenkins—looking elsewhere—got beaten for a layup. Then Roy Hibbert completely handled The Relunker in the low post. It was almost like that episode of Newsradio where Joe (Joe Rogan) all but went through a staggering Dave (Dave Foley) to reach an instigating Matthew (Andy Dick). One of the most underrated shows of all time, Newsradio. But I’m not here to talk about the past.

The Warriors went scoreless on their first four possessions, during which Dorrell Wright missed two 3’s. Then came the 9:30 mark at which The Relunker, perhaps feeling emasculated after Hibbert abused him, sought a little payback. He got the ball on the right block, dribbled a bit, then spun for a right (off)-handed hook, of sorts.

It didn’t go in the basket. It didn’t go off the basket. It went about two feet over the basket into Indiana’s hands. If the Relunker had shot this ball straight on it would have cracked the backboard; that’s how hard he heaved it. Thanks to that miss, #15’s already-frazzled confidence took another blow; it is now likely he will go the entire month of March without another field-goal attempt.

Wright misses a gorgeous reverse layup, and suddenly GS is 0-for-9 and trailing 10-0 until David Lee finally broke through following a time-out. He then committed a laugh-out-loud funny turnover in which he drove to the hoop, was stripped of the ball, but continued the layup motion all the way to the basket empty-handed. It was reminiscent of the original NBA Live SNES glitch, and it cracked me up big time.

Wright just would…not…stop…shooting. He was ice-cold and didn’t score until a cheap putback in the 3rd quarter. Danny Granger, his Indiana counterpart, would not stop shooting, either—at one point going up on six straight touches. Difference was: some of his went in.

Eventually, thanks in part to Monta Ellis’ sweet buzzer-beating bank shot, Golden State eventually took a brief lead. In the 3rd quarter, I stepped away from the tube to change Josie—I don’t remember the score but the Warriors weren’t down by more than seven. Upon returning they were down by 29.
I’m sitting there, trying to process what in the world could have transpired to swell Indy’s lead that fast:

The NBA locked out the players again, but only the Warriors were told.
The Warriors, out of shape from the layoff, were too tired to run and just shot at Indy’s basket.
Indiana began playing football instead of basketball.
Somebody hit the referee with a chair, and Indy played 12-on-5.
Jackson got confused and stole the ball from his own players, thinking he still played for the Pacers.
Josie’s diaper rendered me comatose, and I’m watching a game from 2013.

Whatever the case, the Warriors went down hard; a rare blowout. Unfortunately, the Pacers happen to be one of just three Eastern Conference teams who Golden State plays twice in this shortened season (Philadelphia and New Jersey will be the others), and they were victorious both times. 

Recently-demoted Jeremy Tyler missed out on some prime garbage time in this one, but Chris Wright (who I honestly forget is even on the team) cashed in. It is my conclusion that, for whatever reason, as long as Dorrell Wright is a Warrior, there must be at least one other Wright on the roster.  Last year it was Brandan, this year Chris. I can live with it so long as Luther never suits up.

As for the ugly, dull, uninspiring Atlanta win…no comment.