OAKLAND – Warriors coach Steve Kerr tends to grin when he looks at the stat sheet and sees his team has at least 30 assists. He considers that number indicative of desired ball movement and, consequently, open shots.
So 47 assists, the number reached Wednesday night by the Warriors in a 149-106 demolition of the shorthanded Lakers, is practically a double lottery win.
“We almost had more assists than rebounds,” said Kevin Durant, noting that the Warriors grabbed 48 rebounds.
“That surpasses the standard,” Kerr said of the assists. “That’s a pretty incredible number. I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of a team that had 47 assists.”
Not many have, and never have the Warriors. The 47 assists are a team record and only six short of the NBA record of 53.
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And it came on a night the Warriors committed a season-low 10 turnovers.
“That’s ridiculous,” Klay Thompson said. “I mean 47 to 10? That’s unbelievable.”
This was the ninth consecutive game in which the Warriors recorded at least 30 assists, also a franchise record and four away from the NBA record of 13 such games in a row.
Only six of their 53 baskets were unassisted.
“That shows that we’re more comfortable with each other,” Durant said. “That shows that everybody is touching the ball and trying to find the open shot. You’ve got to make shots, and the ball went in for us tonight.”
Before Draymond Green left late in the third quarter after being poked in the eye – he’s expected to play Friday night – he posted a s team-high 11 assists. Stephen Curry had nine, Andre Iguodala and Durant five each, and David West and Pat McCaw four each.
“Every time I get a stat sheet, I always look at three categories: assists, turnovers and the other team’s shooting percentage,” Kerr said. “Those are the things I look at immediately on the box score. The first box score I saw it was like 11 assists and no turnovers. From that point on, I was noticing it every time.
“It was fantastic.”
