Jordan Poole is known as one of the Warriors’ top playmakers, but on Thursday he was a facilitator, too.
Golden State pulled off a 128-112 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center thanks in part to a career-high 11 assists from Poole.
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It was just another milestone for the young guard, who has stepped up and taken on a major role on the court recently in the absence of Steph Curry.
Poole paired his 11 assists with 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting for the second double-double of his career. Even though his streak of scoring 20-plus points ended at 17 games on Thursday, Poole’s ability to help out his teammates against the Lakers left him feeling accomplished.
“It just feels really good putting my teammates in really easy situations to score the ball, especially getting guys going early in case the game gets close at the end and they’ve got a rhythm and they’re a bit comfortable,” Poole told reporters after the game. “So just making the right play, I mean, if they’re open, I have the utmost faith and trust in my teammates that they’ll be able to knock the shot down.”
Coach Steve Kerr commended Poole for the various roles the 22-year-old has had to take on this season and the fact that he continues to grow.
“Jordan’s been amazing,” Kerr said following the win. “He’s had a fantastic season. He’s filled in for both Klay [Thompson] and Steph when they’ve been injured, he’s come off the bench, he’s done anything that we’ve asked him to do.
“He’s a great guy to coach because he really listens and absorbs the lessons, and I think he’s gotten so much better even in the last month or so. He’s become much more efficient with his dribble … the possessions are running smoother, so he’s really coming into his own.”
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The Warriors as a whole had 39 assists on the night. Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala combined for 14 assists with seven apiece, and Thompson had four himself.
With different key players moving the ball around the court, Poole spoke about how the Warriors are able to challenge any defense.
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“[Defenses] have to make a lot of decisions, and we’re trying to put them in situations where they mess up on coverage and then we’ve just got to take advantage of it,” Poole said. “Being able to have so many weapons and threats out there on the court … once we get moving in our offense to get good looks, [it] makes us pretty dangerous.”
Whether he’s making the shots himself or passing the ball to his teammates, Poole’s influence on the court is making a difference when the Warriors need him most.