Richardson had been struggling mighty with his shot. Which was expected considering how long he was out. But he willed himself to have an impact on this game. What’s more, he made timely plays out of sheer energy, passion and hustle.
That’s how you fight of losses, with will. That’s how you avoid droughts, with determination.
Richardson was 4-for-16, but he had 7 rebounds and five assists. He was hustling all over the court and trying defensively. And when the Warriors needed, he hit a big three, and ran the floor hard to get free for a dunk.
Sometimes, you just have to not want to lose bad enough. The Warriors have the talent, but sometimes you have to question their resolve. They settle so much and relen so much, you have to wonder how bad do they want it.
Many of the Warriors need to have it rolling in order to impact the game positively. And if they don’t have it rolling, they negatively influence the team. But to see Richardson out there, in a relatively bad game based on the Richardson we knew from last year, still finding away to make it happen is refreshing.