SAN FRANCISCO – In what was an NBA Cup quarterfinals preview between the Warriors and Houston Rockets, Golden State ended its five-game dropping streak with a 99-93 win Thursday night time at Chase Heart.
Down Steph Curry (bilateral knee ache) and Draymond Inexperienced (left calf tightness) to accidents, Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins carried the load for the Warriors. Kuminga scored a career-high 33 factors, together with 14 within the fourth quarter, and Wiggins scored 22, giving them a mixed 55 factors.
Profession-high 33 for JK 😮💨
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 6, 2024
A sport that includes two of the NBA’s finest defenses noticed taking pictures struggles on each side, making each level that Kuminga and Wiggins added much more priceless.
The Warriors have performed 13 clutch video games by means of their first 21 video games this season, together with seven straight and 10 of their final 11. This time, they held off their opponent as an alternative of crumbling down the stretch.
Listed below are three takeaways from the Warriors snapping their five-game dropping streak.
Choosing Up The Items
At any time when the Warriors are with out Curry, others should present extra offense than ordinary. Kuminga seemed to be the one prepared to leap into that greater function, having fun with his second straight robust first quarter. Kuminga scored eight factors on a mid-range soar shot and two 3-pointers to open the sport.
However the offense stalled when he first got here out. The Warriors had been up 14-8 on the 3:44 mark as Kyle Anderson entered for Kuminga. The remainder of the quarter with Kuminga on the bench, the Warriors had been then outscored 14-4 and trailed 22-18 going into the second.
That’s when Wiggins turned it on. He scored simply three factors within the first quarter and missed two of three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point shot. However within the second, he knocked off early rust and scored 12 large factors on 4-of-5 taking pictures whereas making each free throws, together with one on a four-point play.
Steph was LOVING this 4-point play by Wiggs 🙌
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 6, 2024
Kuminga and Wiggins mixed to attain 25 of the Warriors’ 43 factors within the first half. A mere 53 seconds into the second half, a Kuminga layup compelled a Rockets timeout because the Warriors led by 10 factors. By way of three quarters, Kuminga was as much as 19 factors and Wiggins was at 18 as no different Warrior had greater than eight.
They then scored 19 of the Warriors’ 26 factors within the fourth quarter.
Filling Draymond’s Sneakers
Discovering factors with out Curry is just one piece to the puzzle. Who was going to step up Inexperienced’s absence?
A handful of individuals it seems.
Brandin Podziemski didn’t have any assists within the first half, however he did have seven rebounds. Podziemski grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds in the long run. Kevon Looney was a team-high plus-16 within the first half, snatching six rebounds to go along with two assists. He completed with 11 rebounds as a part of his game-high plus-20. Then there’s Anderson, the ever-trusted veteran.
THIS PASS >
📺 @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/A0nB5mIEQY
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 6, 2024
Inexperienced’s left calf harm has opened minutes once more for Anderson in every of the final two video games after sitting the whole second half two video games in the past in Phoenix. The Warriors wanted Anderson’s skill to deal with the ball, in addition to his size and basketball IQ.
Anderson performed 14 minutes off the bench and offered eight factors, two rebounds and two assists.
Assault The Weak point
The Rockets chosen Reed Sheppard No. 3 total within the 2024 NBA Draft primarily for the way he can mild it up from lengthy distance. The one downside for him, and the Rockets alike, is that Houston has a crowded backcourt. The truth that Sheppard entered the night time making a lowly 33.3 % of his threes makes it even more durable for him to search out minutes.
Sheppard performed slightly below eight minutes within the first half and scored 5 factors whereas making certainly one of his three 3-point makes an attempt. However the small guard was uncovered defensively by the Warriors.
A number of instances within the first half, the Warriors put Sheppard into each motion they might. He missed a 3 on the 8:40 mark of the second quarter, simply to see Buddy Hield hit a trey on him 9 seconds later as Looney screened the rookie. Lower than a minute later, Jalen Inexperienced changed Sheppard, and the rookie by no means got here again in the remainder of the half.
Ime Udoka didn’t play Sheppard as soon as within the third quarter, however did use him to begin the fourth quarter.
The actual weak spot that needed to make each Warrior smile? Letting Dillon Brooks shoot. The longtime Warriors nemesis took eight threes and solely made two. Music to Dub Nation’s ears in a much-needed win.
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