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Journalism of Courage
When Golden State Coach Mark Jackson spotted guard Stephen Curry on Sunday morning before the Warriors faced the San Antonio Spurs,he asked Curry for an update on his injured left ankle. The Golden State rookie Harrison Barnes (40) had 26 points and 10 rebounds in Game 4.
He wasnt 100 percent, Jackson said,just minutes after his team rallied to beat the Spurs,97-87,in overtime,tying the teams best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series,2-2. I said to him before the game,How you feeling? He said,Im going to give you what I got,Coach.
With Curry hobbling,Jackson put the game in the hands of the rookie forward Harrison Barnes and the veteran guard Jarrett Jack,and both responded. Curry chipped in with 22 points,but Barnes had the game of his life with 26 points and 10 rebounds,and Jack c scored 24 off the bench.
Barnes and Jack did most of the work for a Warriors team that trailed by 8 points at halftime but refused to quit in a game it had to win to avoid falling behind,3-1,in the series.
Its a special season for this basketball team and this group of guys,this organization,its fan base, Jackson said. Weve done things that show us when we do them how good we can be. Im not surprised by anything. One thing I know,this team will not lay down,this team will not quit. It looked dark. But we found a way to get stops and to make plays, he said.
Overtime run
The Warriors and the Spurs were tied at 84-84 through four quarters,but Golden State opened overtime on a 9-0 run,taking a 93-84 lead with 1 minute 46 seconds left. Jack ignited the run with a baseline runner,and then Barnes made a pair of free throws and a jumper from the line. Currys 3-point play capped the flurry.
The Spurs went ice-cold,missing their first seven shots from the field in overtime. Manu Ginobili missed twice from long range,one an air ball. Now they will have to regroup for Game 5 on Tuesday night at San Antonio; the Warriors ended their 30-game losing streak in that city with a win in Game 2.
Ginobili led the Spurs with 21 points,Tim Duncan had 19 points and 15 rebounds,and Tony Parker scored 17. Andrew Bogut had 18 rebounds and 5 points for the Warriors despite getting into early foul trouble.
Curry,who injured his left ankle late in the fourth quarter of Game 3 on Friday night,was in the starting lineup for Game 4 and got hot in the second half after scoring only 6 points in the first. But Jackson adjusted his role,taking pressure off him.
When the second half began,it was as if an alarm clock went off for the entire Warriors team and Curry in particular. Curry scored 10 quick points,and the Warriors turned a 45-37 halftime deficit into a 52-51 lead with 6:20 left in the third as Carl Landry converted a 3-point play.
The best was yet to come for Barnes and Jack. I honestly think this guy to my left is way more wise beyond his years, Jack said,sitting beside Barnes during a postgame interview.
