SAN FRANCISCO – Home is where the heart is, and where Warriors losing streaks come to an end.
The Warriors on Saturday night returned to Chase Center from a winless three-game road trip and outlasted the Brooklyn Nets, 124-120. Nothing has come easy for the Warriors this season, including their latest win to improve to 11-14 on the season. The Warriors now have played 12 straight clutch games, giving them an NBA-high 21 on the season thus far.
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Steph Curry exploded in the fourth quarter, ending the night with 37 points and six 3-pointers, with his first giving him 3,500 in his regular-season career. Nobody else is in the 3,000 3-pointers club. Klay Thompson wasn’t far behind, adding 24 points, and rookie Brandin Podziemski provided 19 points in his second straight start.
Nets guard Cam Thomas scored a game-high 41 points, but they weren’t enough for Brooklyn to overcome Curry’s powers.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ win that came down to the final few seconds.
Defending Without Fouling
Golden State Warriors
If turnovers have been the Warriors’ biggest problem, defending without fouling has been a close second. The Warriors entered Saturday fouling their opponents the third-most in the NBA, behind only the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons. Golden State opponents also have gone to the free throw line the third-most frequently this season.
Early on, the Warriors looked to buck the narrative against the Nets. The Warriors held a seven-point lead after the first quarter, thanks in large part to being called for only one foul through the first 12 minutes. The Warriors attempted eight free throws in the first quarter, six more than the Nets.
By halftime, the Warriors had taken six more free throws than the Nets and were called for six fewer fouls.
The final tally had the Warriors being called for six fewer fouls than the Nets, and making six more free throws in a four-point victory.
Splash Brothers Make It Rain
Thursday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers was a high point for Thompson in his first 30-point game of the season. But his backcourt mate, Curry, struggled shooting – scoring 17 points on 5-of-17 shooting and made only three of his 13 shots from deep.
Two nights later, both sharpshooters enjoyed watching their shots go up and swish through the net.
Thompson scored 24 points on 7-of-19 shooting and 4 of 9 from deep. Curry’s 37 points came from a 14-of-22 shooting performance, along with 6 of 8 beyond the arc. The two combined to score 61 points on 21-of-41 shooting, including going 10 of 17 on threes.
But it was a fourth-quarter Curry flurry that made all the difference. Curry scored 12 straight points in less than two minutes of game action. Sit back and enjoy the show.
Curry was a perfect 7-of-7 shooting in the fourth quarter.
The Splash Brothers combined to score 22 of the Warriors’ 29 points in the fourth to take down the Nets.
Podziemski’s Impact
The five turnovers are what Podziemski will remember most. That’s the kind of competitor he is. But one sequence in the second quarter showed the exact value the rookie brings to the floor.
Podziemski at the 7:09 mark drained a 3-pointer to push the Warriors’ lead to 11 points. Eight seconds later, he took a charge, his second of the game within his first 13 minutes of play. Plus, his shot was falling too.
The lefty scored 19 points, the third-most of his career, on 7-of-15 shooting. Podziemski also made a career-best four 3-pointers, and added five rebounds, five assists, three steals and one block.
His final rebound of the night saw him flying toward the basket to seal the Warriors' win, finding Curry for the final two points of a victory that had all of Dub Nation out of their seats.