2015 NBA scores: Warriors splash past Spurs, Raptors crush Hawks

The Splash Brothers dominated the Spurs, a stunning loss by Atlanta and the rest of the action from Friday in the NBA.

by Satchel Price

Feb 21, 2015, 1:00 PM UTC

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

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NBA schedule and results: Warriors dash Spurs easily, 110-99

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The Golden State Warriors started off the second half of the season the way they spent the first half: beating up talented opponents. Led by a sublime performance from the All-Star backcourt of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, the Warriors rolled over the defending champion San Antonio Spurs, 110-99, Friday night.

The first half of the season was a rousing success for Golden State, which posted a 42-9 record and often looked like the best team in the league. A week off didn’t change that, as the team hustled on both sides of the floor to overwhelm a San Antonio team that couldn’t possibly match Golden State’s length and athleticism.

Curry and Thompson were at the center of the magic throughout the game, whether it was with a perfectly executed fast break or a deadly pick-and-roll. The Warriors’ backcourt is an advantage pretty much every night, but it absolutely ran circles around San Antonio’s guards in this one.

Seriously, look at the numbers for Curry and Thompson compared to the Spurs' starting guards, Tony Parker and Danny Green:

Feb. 20, 2015	Points	FG	3PT	FT	Assists	Steals
Curry/Thompson	45	15-of-34	7-of-15	8-of-9	14	4
Parker/Green	6	1-of-8	0-of-4	4-of-4	6	2

That's a straight up clinic on both ends of the floor. Not only were Curry and Thompson getting their own against a solid San Antonio defense, but they absolutely took Parker and Green out of the Spurs' offense. The team's backup guards fared somewhat better, with Manu Ginobili scoring eight points on 4-of-7 shooting, but when these two teams had their starting backcourts matched up, there was little doubt who had the advantage.

Part of that stems from the defensive end, where the Warriors’ length was able to force turnovers and transition opportunities. Golden State held a 23-10 advantage on fast break points, and got a lot of those from Curry and Thompson running the floor.

Even though Kawhi Leonard and Boris Diaw both played quite well, combining for 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting, the Spurs were going to need a complete team effort to win this one. That's what it takes to beat Golden State right now -- a near flawless effort where everyone is playing well.

That’s certainly easier said than done, and the Spurs learned that the hard way Friday night. If the rest of the conference was hoping an All-Star break would wear away some of the sheen from Golden State’s swagger, well -- nope. That Dubs are still a force to be reckoned with.

3 other things we learned

The Hawks have some All-Star break rust. After putting four players into the All-Star Game last week, Atlanta is apparently still getting over its hangover from New York City. The Hawks were absolutely crushed -- at home, no less -- by the Raptors Friday night, 105-80, in a game that was lopsided throughout the second half. The Hawks have finally cooled down in February, posting a 3-4 record so far, and Friday represented arguably the team's worst performance of the season. The team has had a couple other stinkers this season -- a 33-point loss to Cleveland on Nov. 15 and a 30-point loss to Milwaukee on Dec. 26 -- but after a unprecedented, perfect January, reality has set back in for Atlanta.

Washington misses Bradley Beal. The Wizards don't hit a ton of threes even when Beal is healthy, but the third-year guard's latest stress injury has highlighted the problem. Washington shot just 1-of-16 from three as a team in its 127-89 loss to the Cavaliers Friday night, with only a fourth quarter make from Otto Porter Jr. saving the team from a completely three-less night. That's hard to fathom in a modern NBA where the shot is so prevalent, but without Beal -- a 44 percent shooter from beyond the arc -- there's just not much else beyond occasional spot-ups from Paul Pierce and Rasual Butler. Even though Washington is fourth in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage, it sits just 26th in threes made.

The Jazz are showing signs of life. It's clearly a rebuilding year in Utah, but a 92-76 win over the Trail BlazersFriday was the latest encouraging sign for the team. With underachieving big man Enes Kanter, one of the worst rim protectors in the league, no longer on the roster, it's possible the Jazz may be about to take a step forward from the first half of the season. That was apparent against Portland, which boasts a top-10 offense this season but just delivered its worst performance of the season. LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard shot 5-of-16 and 7-of-15 from the field, respectively, and overall the team shot 36 percent. Young big man Rudy Gobert, the biggest benefactor from Kanter's departure, contributed five blocks in the win. He's had multiple blocks in seven of the past eight games.

Play of the Night

More like Flash Brothers with that awesome behind-the-back pass, right? Maybe not since it’s a terrible joke, but man, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are on another level right now.