Monta Ellis: ‘This is a New Day, We’re Not the Same Warriors’

Monta Ellis and his Golden State Warriors teammates were understandably pumped following their upset victory over the Miami Heat in overtime last night, and Ellis claims that changes are afoot in the Bay Area. From the San Fran Chronicle: “There was a point, just like in life, where you can fold the tent, or you can begin to believe and fight back. We did that,’ [coach Mark Jackson] said moments after the Warriors’ 111-106 overtime victory against the Miami Heat. “It’s great for my guys, because the bottom line is you need results in order to trust a system.’ Trust could have been an issue during the Warriors’ five-game losing streak, which looked like it was going to be extended to six. Miami (8-2) held the Warriors without a field goal for the opening 10 minutes of the third quarter and took a 17-point lead. On the heels of learning that point guard Stephen Curry could miss extended games, the Warriors could have easily called it a night. Instead, they closed the gap to 12 points by the end of the third and limited the league’s best offense to 12 points in the fourth. Castaway guard Nate Robinson, who had 24 points and four rebounds, made a layup and a free-throw off a Udonis Haslem technical with 1:44 remaining in regulation to tie it 93-93. After LeBron James and Dwyane Wade made three free throws to go up 96-93, Dorell Wright, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds, made a three-pointer to tie it again with 31.2 seconds left. The Warriors actually got a stop on the Heat’s next possession and had the ball in Monta Ellis’ hands with 13 seconds left and a chance to win. Ellis, who had 22 points on 9-for-25 shooting and nine turnovers, couldn’t get a shot off at the end of regulation. But all sins were forgiven when the Warriors outscored the Heat 15-10 in overtime. ‘This is a new day,’ Ellis said. ‘We’re not the same Warriors. We kept chipping away, we believed, and we came out with a win. “It’s good, but we have to build on it.’”