The Warriors waited until the third quarter to take off. Behind a hot shot from Stephen Curry (30 points, 8/13 from 3-point range), they finally managed to increase their lead above the 10-point mark, before the pair Chris Paul (10 assists, 7 rebounds) – Trayce Jackson-Davis (10 points, 15 rebounds, 1 block) finishes an 18-5 on an alley oop to put the Wizards 21 lengths (101-80).
Until then, the Wizards had taken advantage of the lack of rigor and intensity of their opponents to stay in contact. Golden State had in fact lost five balls and sent Washington to free throws 11 times in the second quarter. Cory Kispert (18 points) and Daniel Gafford (15 points) then took advantage, just like Jordan Poole (25 points, 7/21 on shots) who put his team at -2 on a 3-pointer a few seconds from the half-time (63-61).
With this victory, the Warriors return to 50% victories on the season, before hosting Portland in a “back-to-back” game on the night of Saturday to Sunday. The Wizards end their “road trip” to the West with one victory and three defeats. Beyond their record, Wes Unseld Jr.'s men have shown signs of improvement over the last ten days.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Standing ovation for Jordan Poole. For his first game at Chase Center since his transfer from Golden State to Washington, Jordan Poole was entitled to a long ovation from his former audience. The Warriors had planned a video to pay tribute to him during the team presentation. Golden State players and staff joined fans to applaud the man who was a centerpiece of the 2022 title. Before the match, Curry, Payton, Looney, and Thompson spoke warmly with their former teammate. The absence of Draymond Green, who punched Poole in the face during training camp before last season, allowed the Warriors and Jordan Poole to take full advantage of this reunion.
– Kuminga and Jackson-Davis confirm their current form. Both decisive in the victory against Boston at the start of the week, Kuminga and Jackson-Davis performed well again last night. The winger started the game at 6/6 on shots, attacking the racket to finish with authority like his tap dunk on two Wizards in the third quarter. He finished the match with 22 points at 9/11 on shots. Jackson-Davis recorded his second double-double in a row, and only Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren did the same among rookies. His energy once again changed the face of the match. Associated with Chris Paul, the two players dissected the Wizards defense.
– A discreet Bilal Coulibaly. The Frenchman played more than 30 minutes, including nine of garbage time, to finish the match with 7 points on 3/8 shots and 3 rebounds. Each time he entered the field, the rookie defended Stephen Curry and, like the rest of his teammates, he could do nothing to slow down the double MVP. He was even baptized by the Warriors star with a long-distance 3-pointer after briefly releasing.
How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
