Aussies in NBA: Bogut's season high leads Curry-less Warriors to victory
The Golden State Warriors pulled a tough 109-105 win out over the Atlanta Hawks in overtime earlier today, despite missing their offensive leader in Stephen Curry, who was out resting his sore left ankle.
No Curry? No worries.
https://twitter.com/gitanaAzul/status/704943696828096513
Leading the charge was Andrew Bogut, who notched a season-high 19 points from multiple dunks on an incredible 8 of 9 attempts. He also recorded 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and a block this game.
Whilst it was Draymond Green who made a stunning three-pointer to seal the game, Bogut's repeated forays into the paint got him easy points at the rim, and certainly helped shore the offensive deficit up. The Golden State center was second in scoring this night, trailing Klay Thompson's 26 points (8 of 27 field goals, 6 of 16 from three).
Draymond Green said it best, when asked post-game about Bogut's multiple finishes on the lobs.
"... You put [the ball] anywhere near the rim, Boges has great hands. He's going to find it, whether it's a tip-in, or whether it's a dunk. When he's putting pressure on the rim like that, it makes it a lot tougher on the other team."
“They were so afraid of our three-point shooting that they can’t stretch the defense out,” Bogut explained post-game. “So every time I set a good screen and rolled hard to the basket, my teammates did a great job of finding me for lobs and dunks and got us going in the first half.”
Rael Enteen of KNBR also offered an apt analogy on Bogut's role within the team.
"If Curry is the Warriors’ brain and Draymond Green is their heartbeat, then Bogut is their knees, an admittedly ironic metaphor considering his injury history there. But the comparison is apt because without Bogut, the Warriors can’t do what they do best: dominate on the defensive end to create a transcendent transition game.
Bogut is also key in the halfcourt offense, as his passing and screen-setting open up opportunities for his talented teammates."
It's not often you see Bogut being referred to as the knees, but he certainly was the bee's knees, on top of being the Warriors' metaphorical knees in this victory; the 54th win of the regular season, and a much more significant one. Curry's absence has been a litmus test of sorts,
Andrew Bogut full video highlights
https://youtu.be/P_5OnYa-fZ8
Aussie fan sightings
Some fellow Aussies were out in full force at the game, showing support for Bogey and the Dubs. Steven Cavallin and the boys, we see you. Some Boomers love there!
https://twitter.com/Steven_Cav/status/704947598394855425
Were any other Aussies out at the game too? Drop a comment and share your social media post, we'd love to put you on the board too.