Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins looks to pass the ball against the Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) in the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Wed Mar 6, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Golden State Warriors, who were trounced by the Boston Celtics last Sunday in Boston, returned home to face the Milwaukee Bucks, the team with the second-best record in the NBA’s Eastern Conference.

The Bucks fired their coach earlier in the season and brought Doc Rivers to right the ship. Things didn’t go well for Milwaukee after Rivers took over. However, the Bucks got their act together and had won six straight after the All-Star break.

The Warriors won three games on the four-game road trip. The only blemish was Sunday’s massacre in Boston. Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr said the team had to flush the loss down the toilet. The Warriors did just that as they crushed the Bucks 125-90.

The Warriors came to play Wednesday night. The Warriors scored 40 points in the first quarter. Andrew Wiggins returned to the starting lineup after missing four games for personal reasons. Brandin Podzienski also returned to the starting lineup after missing two games with a sore knee.

Stephen Curry and Jonathan Kuminga paced the Warriors’ offense in the first 12 minutes of the game. The Warriors led 40-32 at the end of the quarter.

In the second quarter, the Warriors played well on both ends of the court. Klay Thompson tallied ten points, Gary Payton II, nine, and the Warriors won the quarter 38-26 to finish the first half leading 78-56. Steph Led the Attack with 17. Kuninga was a force on offense as he tallied 16.

The Warriors shot 64% from the floor. They made 12 threes in 19 tries. Milwaukee shot 50% from the floor, but they could not find a way to stop the Warrior offense in the first half. Milwaukee’s only advantage in the first half was at the free-throw line.

The Bucks had 12 free throws and made eight. The Warriors went to the free-throw line just once in the first half. Curry made both free throws.

As NBA fans know, leads can quickly disappear in the second half. The Warriors have been guilty of blowing big leads in the fourth quarter. Milwaukee’s stars Giannis Antetokoumpo and Damian Lillard could get hot and lead the Bucks back into the game.

The Warriors, on the other hand, have owned the third quarter for many years. The Warriors loved to come out and blow away their opponents in the third quarter. If they hoped to win, the Bucks knew they had to stop the Warriors offense and take control of the game.

Milwaukee stopped the Warriors’ offense cold. Milwaukee went on a 19-5 run to close within six points of the lead, 83-77. At this point, Steve Kerr inserted the rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis. Davis turned things around for Golden State.

The Bucks won the quarter 23-15, but Jackson Davis was excellent on both ends of the court. Davis blocked two of Giannis’ shots, and TJD knocked down six points. The Warriors led by nine, 93-82, after three periods of play.

Milwaukee felt they had figured out how to get back into the game. They were wrong. The Warriors’ second unit of Moses Moody, Davis, Podzienski, Curry, and Draymond Green stopped the Bucks’ offense. The Warriors won the final stanza 32-9 to propel the Warriors to a very important bounce-back win 125-90.

Game Notes: With the win, the Warriors are 33-28. They have won 14 of the last 18 games. Milwaukee falls to 41-22. The Warriors split the season series with the Bucks.

The Warriors shot 56% from the floor, made 19 threes in 39 tries, and had 37 assists on 51 made baskets. On defense, the Warriors outrebounded the bigger Bucks 57-45. The Warriors had ten steals and a season-high 13 blocks. 

Curry paced the offense with 29 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Curry also made six threes. Jonathan Kuminga added 20 points. Klay Thompson finished with ten. Green had 12 points, six boards, and six assists. Green connected on two threes in the fourth quarter. Jackson-Davis had quite a night. The 24-year-old rookie from Indiana tallied 15 points and six rebounds in 18 minutes of playing time.

Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 24 points. Lillard had 20. Lillard made five threes, and he is now tied with Reggie Miller for fourth place in the NBA making threes. 

The Warriors must put this game behind them as they face the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 p.m.