Golden State Warriors guard Monta Ellis seemed
to play angry in the second half of Sunday’s game at Detroit,
scoring 17 second-half points to lift Golden State to a 99-91
victory.
The Warriors (4-8) earned coach Mark Jackson his
first road victory, rebounding from Saturday’s “embarrassing” loss
at Charlotte. Golden State also kept alive its hopes of winning the
four-game trip, which continues Tuesday in Cleveland.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich.
Golden State Warriors guard Monta Ellis seemed
to play angry in the second half of Sunday’s game at Detroit,
scoring 17 second-half points to lift Golden State to a 99-91
victory.
The Warriors (4-8) earned coach Mark Jackson his
first road victory, rebounding from Saturday’s “embarrassing” loss
at Charlotte. Golden State also kept alive its hopes of winning the
four-game trip, which continues Tuesday in Cleveland.
It wasn’t Ellis’ best game – he finished with 22
points, seven assists and five turnovers. But the annoyed edge he
played with, from his determined drives to the scowl on his face,
set the tone as the Warriors grinded out their first in Detroit
since March 2007.
Maybe it was because he struggled in the first
half, scoring just five points on four shots with three turnovers,
prompting Jackson to give Ellis a long rest.
Or was it because he could sense another loss?
By halftime, the Warriors weren’t in such great shape after giving
up 29 points on 50 percent shooting in the second quarter.
Perhaps the answer was a lot simpler, such as he
banged his left knee late in the second quarter and was in pain the
rest of the game.
“It hurt,” Ellis said. “It hurt bad. But we
needed this win. Sucked it up and worry about it later.”
For whatever reason, Ellis’ apparent agitation
led to a gritty performance. And he wasn’t alone.
Warriors forward David Lee made 10 of his 12
shots and finished with 24 points, his fourth consecutive game
scoring at least 20. His low-post game helped Golden State dominate
the points in the paint (48-32).
Forward Dorell Wright, despite missing 10 of his
13 shots (including five 3-pointers), had a game-high 11 rebounds
to go with three steals.
Golden State turned a tie game into a five-point
lead to start the fourth quarter. Then, instead of allowing Detroit
to retake control of the game, the Warriors turned it up a notch
early in the fourth. A 78-73 advantage with 10:08 left ballooned to
a 15-point lead by the 6:27 mark.
During that stretch, Golden State held Detroit
scoreless on four shots with two turnovers. Guard Nate Robinson
scored six straight points during the stretch and a pair of Ellis
free throws gave the Warriors an 88-73 lead to cap the 10-0
run.
A couple Pistons baskets kept the game
interesting. But Golden State’s defense held Detroit to one point
on three shots for a three-minute, 15-second span.
A 3-pointer by Detroit guard Ben Gordon with
2:15 left eventually broke the drought and seemed to give some life
to the Pistons.
But Ellis came right back, before Detroit could
mount any momentum, and nailed a 16-footer, jogging back down court
with a menacing stare.
“He’s gotten frustrated lately because he has
been physically abused at times and is not getting to the line,”
Jackson said. “But the great players find a way – in spite of
adversity, in spite of not getting the benefit-of-the-doubt whistle
– to still gut it out. I’m glad the way he handled it.”
– Sunday pitted the Warriors’ 2010 first-round
draft pick (forward Ekpe Udoh) against the player many believe the
Warriors’ should have taken No. 6 overall that year (Pistons center
Greg Monroe).
Monroe’s numbers have had Warriors fans calling
Udoh’s drafting a miss. Monroe came into Sunday’s game averaging
16.6 points on 57.6 percent shooting with 9.2 rebounds – all team
highs.
Against the Warriors, he finished with 25 points
and eight rebounds. He was 13 of 14 from the free throw line.
Warriors general manager Larry Riley said Udoh
isn’t being judged by how well he stacks up to Monroe’s production.
Riley said the Warriors are happy with his defense, but they want
more out of Udoh.
“What he has to do is get a little bit better as
far as his rebound game is concerned, and get a little more
offensive confidence,” Riley said. “We need to see a little more
growth out of him. It’s coming, but it’s coming slowly. He’s a guy
who can show the ability to make a few jump shots in practice, and
he’s gotten to where it looks like he’s comfortable with some
low-post moves. But we need his game to grow. There is no doubt
about it.”
Udoh showed a bit of why the Warriors chose him
over Monroe. Golden State drafted Udoh for defensive help, and he
gave it Sunday. His line: 27 minutes (season-high), 10 points, six
rebounds, four blocks (season-high) and three steals.
Udoh helped hold Monroe scoreless in the fourth
quarter.
“It’s in the back of your mind,” Udoh said of
all the Monroe talk. “But at the end of the day, I’ve got to stick
to what I do best. … You’ve got to understand, I’m trying to help
my team get wins. The more we win, the more people will see.”
– Rookie point guard Charles Jenkins put
together another solid performance on Sunday. He played a
career-high 29 minutes, totaling six points, five assists, four
rebounds and zero turnovers. Jackson said he played great defense
on Detroit’s veteran scoring guard Gordon, who finished with 15
points.
“People were concerned whether he’d make a
team,” Jackson said of Jenkins. “He’s not just making a team, but
he’s starting. And I’m not going in games thinking, ‘Well, Charles
Jenkins is my starter. I’m in trouble.’ I feel confident and
comfortable with the way that he plays. He knows exactly who he
is.”
Jenkins is expected to return to the bench if
point guard Stephen Curry (sprained right ankle) returns to the
lineup as planned Tuesday against Cleveland.
