Festus Ezeli (NGR) - Golden State Warriors (NBA). Photo courtesy of www.nba.com/warriors
PARIS (George Eddy's International Show) - Now that the Golden State Warriors have finally lost for the first time in the 2015-16 NBA season, we realize just how enormous a feat the Los Angeles Lakers' 33-game winning streak during the 1971-72 campaign really was. I feel it's one of those records that will never be broken.
However, for Golden State, winning 28 regular season games in a row - four to end last season and 24 to begin the current one - this season is already a dream come true. Add a record 14 straight away wins to start a season and you've got history in the making.
PARIS (George Eddy's International Show) - Now that the Golden State Warriors have finally lost for the first time in the 2015-16 NBA season, we realize just how enormous a feat the Los Angeles Lakers' 33-game winning streak during the 1971-72 campaign really was. I feel it's one of those records that will never be broken.
However, for Golden State, winning 28 regular season games in a row - four to end last season and 24 to begin the current one - this season is already a dream come true. Add a record 14 straight away wins to start a season and you've got history in the making.
It took a fifth game in eight days on an unending road trip, a second game of a back-to-back after an excruciating double-overtime win in Boston and travel to Milwaukee to sink the Warriors. Harrison Barnes was still out, Klay Thompson limped courageously to a 4-of-14 shooting display and Stephen Curry was less on fire than usual. In fact, the whole team except for an amazing Draymond Green seemed exhausted and, uncharacteristically, the Bucks were twice as accurate from three-point range as the Warriors. It took all these parameters to finally end a glorious run.
Some experts, and I agree, feel that Curry just had the best first quarter of an NBA season in history. Even when Wilt was averaging 50 points a game in 1961-62, his team didn't win ALL its games. In fact, they lost 11 of their first 24.
Some good news came out of this loss for the Warriors starting with their two centers, Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli who combined for 15 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocks in 42 quality minutes on the court which means the Warriors can play tall or small according to the circumstances. Their tired legs impeded them from upping their defensive intensity against an euphoric Bucks team at home, but that key arm remains in their arsenal.
The streak ending will lower the media attention and pressure that has been building around the team in the last few weeks even though Curry and his comrades handled it all with a lot of class and even seemed to be enjoying every bit of the hoopla. In each arena, lines of rap stars, sports stars and other celebrities waited in the wings to get a quick hug from Curry, the biggest show in American sports right now, and one of the most humble and likeable superstars ever!
We learned during this streak that the second most important player on the team is Green, an elite defender who is also the best passer and creator from his high post vantage point. Just like Bill Russell with the Celtics, never has a player averaging 14 points a game meant so much to his team's success. Of course his 9 rebounds and 7 assists a game help, as do his constant energy and enthusiasm. He said it best: "We have fun together as a team". The Splash brothers are now triplets! We also know now that when the Warriors go up by 15, NOONE comes back to beat them.
We musn't forget that during this streak, Golden State had some luck; twice in Toronto, once in Utah and in L.A., as well as in overtime wins at home against Brooklyn and the double-OT win in Boston.
Now we can let Curry(25 games of 20 or more points, 13 at 30+ and 7 at 40+ up to now) rest on his laurels a bit and talk about other players like Paul George and LeBron James who are playing pretty darn good too as well as some surprising teams like the Indiana Pacers, Charlotte Hornets, Toronto Raptors and BostonCeltics in the East and the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder in the West.
Some experts, and I agree, feel that Curry just had the best first quarter of an NBA season in history. Even when Wilt was averaging 50 points a game in 1961-62, his team didn't win ALL its games. In fact, they lost 11 of their first 24.
Some good news came out of this loss for the Warriors starting with their two centers, Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli who combined for 15 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocks in 42 quality minutes on the court which means the Warriors can play tall or small according to the circumstances. Their tired legs impeded them from upping their defensive intensity against an euphoric Bucks team at home, but that key arm remains in their arsenal.
The streak ending will lower the media attention and pressure that has been building around the team in the last few weeks even though Curry and his comrades handled it all with a lot of class and even seemed to be enjoying every bit of the hoopla. In each arena, lines of rap stars, sports stars and other celebrities waited in the wings to get a quick hug from Curry, the biggest show in American sports right now, and one of the most humble and likeable superstars ever!
We learned during this streak that the second most important player on the team is Green, an elite defender who is also the best passer and creator from his high post vantage point. Just like Bill Russell with the Celtics, never has a player averaging 14 points a game meant so much to his team's success. Of course his 9 rebounds and 7 assists a game help, as do his constant energy and enthusiasm. He said it best: "We have fun together as a team". The Splash brothers are now triplets! We also know now that when the Warriors go up by 15, NOONE comes back to beat them.
We musn't forget that during this streak, Golden State had some luck; twice in Toronto, once in Utah and in L.A., as well as in overtime wins at home against Brooklyn and the double-OT win in Boston.
Now we can let Curry(25 games of 20 or more points, 13 at 30+ and 7 at 40+ up to now) rest on his laurels a bit and talk about other players like Paul George and LeBron James who are playing pretty darn good too as well as some surprising teams like the Indiana Pacers, Charlotte Hornets, Toronto Raptors and BostonCeltics in the East and the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder in the West.
By: Greg Eddy for FIBA
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