In his fourth game back for the Golden State Warriors, Andrew Bogut made his presence felt on both sides of the floor in their 121-114 win over the Detroit Pistons.
The Splash Brothers led the way at Oracle, with Steph Curry (26 points) and Klay Thompson (24 points) combining to shoot 9-of-16 from the three-point line, while Kevin Durant and Draymond Green chipped in 14 points each.
Bogut recorded eight points, five rebounds, three assists and three blocks in the win, creating plenty of space for the Warriors shooters with his bone-crunching screens and playmaking from the elbow.
☔️ @StephenCurry30 (26 PTS, 5 3PM) and @KlayThompson (24 PTS, 4 3PM) combine for 50 in the @warriors win at Oracle Arena! #DubNation pic.twitter.com/rPYvybqFuD
— NBA (@NBA) March 25, 2019
When he wasn't creating for others, he took matters into his own hands, getting the Oracle crowd going with this coast-to-coast effort in the third quarter.
'Point Bogut' takes it coast-to-coast #DubNation pic.twitter.com/oMRETQTLNo
— NBA Australia (@NBA_AU) March 25, 2019
Defensively, Bogut was immense, using his physicality to make life tough for the Pistons frontcourt in his 24 minutes of action. Blake Griffin recorded 24 points on just 6-of-14 shooting, while Andre Drummond managed just 12 points on 4-of-9 from the field.
Drummond grew frustrated with Bogut in the fourth qaurter, exchanging words after getting tangled up with the Aussie after a Griffin free throw.
Bogut and Drummond got tangled up and exchanged some words. Tempers flaring At Oracle tonight. pic.twitter.com/3lQmIjg7Rl
— TheWarriorsTalk (@TheWarriorsTalk) March 25, 2019
After losing to the Dallas Mavericks yesterday by 35 points, their largest home loss since 2007, Golden State went back to basics, turning up their defensive pressure and moving the ball with ease as they racked up 31 assists on 46 field goals.
"We know we didn't play well yesterday, terrible performance from start to finish so we just wanted to make sure we came out with right energy and mindset and we were locked in from the start, especially defensively and we got the win," Bogut said post-game.
"We committed to moving the ball. The first half the ball was going around the horn, everyone was getting a touch, everyone felt involved and we had easy wide open shots for the most part."
With Bogut in the lineup, the Warriors showed flashes of their 2015 selves on both sides of the floor, with the Aussie seamlessly fitting back into the rotation like he never left.
"It hasn't been too hard," Bogut said of adjusting to the team. "We're running a lot of similar stuff when I was last here. Obviously, a few more iso plays for KD because he's such a talented scorer and our defence is pretty much the same, so it didn't take me long to pick up it was more about getting some sleep and getting over the jet lag."
The Warriors reclaimed the #1 seed in the Western Conference after today's win, their 50th of the season. The Denver Nuggets remain a half game back at 49-23 with 10 games remaining in the regular season.