In one of the most anticipated games early on this NBA season, the 11-2 Golden State Warriors traveled to Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York to take on Kevin Durant and the 10-4 Brooklyn Nets.

From former league MVPs to Durant facing the team he won two titles with in a three-year span, there was so much hype leading into this game and for about the first 24 minutes of play, these two teams did not disappoint. 

After one-quarter of play, the Nets lead the Warriors 34-31 behind Kevin Durant’s 12 points on 4-7 from the floor. Stephen Curry had the Warriors right there with Brooklyn though, as he also scored 12 points in the opening quarter of play on 4-5 shooting from deep. This was just the start of what ended up being a huge night for Curry and Golden State. 

The second quarter of this game was all about Andrew Wiggins getting into a rhythm and the Warriors’ depth outplaying Brooklyn’s second-unit. Wiggins scored 13 of his 19 points in the game in the final 6 minutes of the first-half and the Warriors’ defense was impenetrable, as they settled into a triangle-and-two zone defense that you hardly ever see at the NBA level. 

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Warriors’ Klay Thompson’s Return Could Be Before Christmas

Playing Kevin Durant and James Harden in man coverage and then having their bottom three guys play in a triangle zone, the Nets had a lot of trouble getting the shots they want, especially since their offense is initiated by both Durant and Harden. 

Proving to be one of the best defensive teams in the league, the Warriors outscored the Nets 54-41 in the second half of this game, allowing Golden State to cruise to a 117-99 victory and improve to 12-2 on the year. 

There was a lot that we learned from both the Brooklyn Nets’ side of things and the Golden State Warriors’ side of things last night in what could have been an NBA Finals preview, so let’s dive right in and take a look at the biggest takeaways from last night’s showcase.