Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole were not in uniform. For three quarters, Stephen Curry did not resemble the greatest 3-point shooter in NBA history. Jonathan Kuminga departed early with tightness in his lower back.
So the Warriors needed to expand their blueprint to earn Monday night’s 113-98 victory over Sacramento.
Draymond Green contributed his first triple-double of the season. Damion Lee scored 18 points, making all four of his shots beyond the arc. Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr. and Andre Iguodala each provided a spark off the bench.
And, oh yeah, that Curry guy came to life in the fourth quarter.
“Every guy who came of the bench was terrific,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “ Huge contribution off the bench. And we needed it with guys out.”
Throw in some stout defense in the final period — allowing 19 points after relinquishing 33 in the third quarter — and the Warriors quelled Sacramento’s second-half rally to improve to 25-6 this season.
Curry scored 15 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter and Green finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. In all, six Warriors players scored in double figures.
“I thought Steph had one of the great turnarounds in the fourth quarter,” Kerr said. “Very few people can flip a game like that. It takes supreme confidence to do that.”
The Warriors also showed why they lead the NBA in defensive rating, collecting 12 steals and nine blocked shots.
Monday night’s game marked the start of a new phase to this Warriors season, in many ways. Wiggins joined Poole in the NBA’s health and safety protocols Sunday, leaving Golden State without a combined 36.6 points per game.
Kuminga seemed like one possible solution. The rookie scored a personal-high 26 points Saturday night in Toronto — when the Warriors played without most of their top players — and started again Monday night. But Kuminga played only the first six-plus minutes and did not return because of the back trouble.
The Warriors led 58-46 after an uneven first half — stretches of sluggishness on offense, especially beyond the arc, but also enough bursts of efficiency to shoot 52% from the field before intermission. “I thought it was a typical first game back from an East Coast trip, with very little time to prepare,” Kerr said.
Curry, playing his first home game since he broke the NBA career 3-point record last Tuesday in New York, struggled to find his touch. He twice savored prolonged ovations from the crowd to recognize his achievement, once before the game and again during the first timeout.
But Curry went 1-for-8 from long distance in the first half. He even missed his lone free-throw attempt, after he made an improbable flip shot when he cut down the lane and took a pass from center Kevon…
OVERVIEW
OnMyWay Is The #1 Distracted Driving Mobile App In The Nation!
OnMyWay, based in Charleston, SC, The Only Mobile App That Pays its Users Not to Text and Drive.
The #1 cause of death among young adults ages 16-27 is Car Accidents, with the majority related to Distracted Driving.
OnMyWay’s mission is to reverse this epidemic through positive rewards. Users get paid for every mile they do not text and drive and can refer their friends to get compensated for them as well.
The money earned can then be used for Cash Cards, Gift Cards, Travel Deals and Much, Much More….
The company also makes it a point to let users know that OnMyWay does NOT sell users data and only tracks them for purposes of providing a better experience while using the app.
The OnMyWay app is free to download and is currently available on both the App Store for iPhones and Google Play for Android @ OnMyWay; Drive Safe, Get Paid.
Download App Now – https://r.onmyway.com
Sponsors and advertisers can contact the company directly through their website @ www.onmyway.com.