The Brooklyn Nets led the Golden State Warriors 49-43 after one half of basketball at the Barclays Center on Monday night; it was not the finest display of NBA hoops, with the teams combining to shoot 8-of-37 from three. The defenses certainly played their part — Brooklyn’s more so than their guests’ — but the disjointed nature of the first 24 minutes worked to the home team’s advantage.
After all, the Barclays Center crowd had shown up in large part to cheer on Steph Curry and his Warriors. The basketball is the main thing, but Brooklyn’s early defensive dominance didn’t just stymie their opponent, it silenced the crowd.