Golden State Warriors: 3 takeaways from 2018-19 season opener
2. The Dubs get a taste of their third quarter medicine
Since they began their league-wide annihilation back in 2015, the Warriors have become famous for their prowess shortly after halftime.
The opponent or score has never seemed to matter, because once the third quarter begins, it appears as though they simply flip a switch and turn what was once a relatively competitive game into a 20-point drubbing.
That made their post-halftime performance against Oklahoma City all the more confusing, allowing them back into the game after being outscored 32-26.
Warriors were a cumulative +524 in the third quarter last season. Start this season with a -6, allowing Thunder back in it.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 17, 2018
It’s possible and very likely that the Warriors played down to their opponent, believing that facing such a huge deficit without their MVP, the Thunder would simply roll over and allow the Dubs to pile on the points.
Moving forward, Golden State can’t assume anything of the sort. They’re the two-time reigning champions, and everyone is going to want to hand them an L.
It was the first game of the season, so there really is no reason to overreact. It was just interesting to see the roles reversed somewhat, leading to a more competitive game than most originally predicted.