With Monta clearly off his game (come to think of it, he hasn’t really been the same since he rolled his ankle — hopefully the 3 days off will help him pull things back together), the rest of the team really stepped up and helped them end their 4-game skid.

Curry was of course the top performer last night, but we also have to mention Biedrins’ second straight double-double (his first such streak since January of 2009), solid games from Lee and D. Wright, and Reggie Williams coming up big off the bench. And Udoh bounced back nicely from a rough game with 21 quality minutes (4 points and 5 rebounds).

Sure, Utah was missing Deron Williams, and sure, they’ve been on a downturn lately, but they’re still talented and well-coached, so it’s not like the Warriors beat the Timberwolves last night. And to do it with very little from Monta, with a huge bench contribution down the stretch, and after a demoralizing loss to the Bobcats, you really do need to give Smart some credit for having the team ready to play and for making adjustments throughout the game. Perhaps the best bounce-back performance of the season for a Warrior!

• Curry’s Defense. I’m fairly worried about Curry guarding Deron Williams with a bum ankle, so we’ll see what sort of help the Warriors give him throughout the night. If they can do a decent job of containing Williams, they’ll be in great shape to win the game.
• Matchup at the 4. Paul Millsap is having a great season so far. Can David Lee match him tonight, and maybe even play a little bit of defense? Lee missed a ton of putbacks in the last game, so if he can start converting those things could really open up for him.
• All-Star Monta. This is the sort of game where the Warriors will probably need a little bit extra. Assuming Curry is unlikely to be the difference-maker tonight, can Monta make sure the Warriors take a solid start into their first long road trip of the year?