SAN FRANCISCO -- Playing the Miami Heat two nights after a 29-point blowout loss is far from an easy task for anyone, let alone the Warriors. The Heat slow the game down, turning it into a grit and grind contest, and they're one of the best-coached teams in all of basketball.
It wasn't easy, it wasn't always mistake-free, but the Warriors found a way to win Thursday night at Chase Center. Behind the super powers of Steph Curry, Golden State came out with a big-time 123-110 win against the Heat.
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While it was only the fifth game of the season, this is exactly what the Warriors (3-2) needed. Their first two wins came against the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings, with losses to the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns. Playing the Heat (2-4) was a tough test, and they passed it.
This also marked their first of two games with the Heat in a five-day span. Get your popcorn ready for Nov. 1 in Miami.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors' third win of the young season.
All-Star Wiggins
Golden State Warriors
Some called it a fluke, many believe it won't happen again after Andrew Wiggins was named an All-Star for the first time last season. Write it down now: Wiggins will be a multi-time All-Star, and perhaps on a yearly basis.
Thursday night was another example why.
The game is coming easy to the former No. 1 overall pick. He has never looked more comfortable in so many facets on the floor. In the first half, he showcased his full arsenal of skills.
Wiggins played 20 minutes going into halftime, and scored 16 points. Before becoming a Warrior, he was seen as an inefficient player. Through the first two quarters, he went 4-for-7 from the field and 2-for-4 on 3-pointers. But Wiggins is much more than a scorer.
The first half also saw him add six rebounds -- three offensive and three defensive -- to go with two assists.
Foul trouble slowed Wiggins down in the third quarter, but not overall. He finished the night with 18 points, a team-high 10 rebounds and was a plus-17 in plus-minus -- also a team-high. That's a winner, that's an All-Star.
Second-Half Steph
Winning time is Steph Curry time, and that was yet again the case. When the Warriors needed a boost, Curry came through. When the crowd needed to get off its feet, Steph stepped up.
The Warriors were far from perfect in the third quarter, turning the ball over left and right. Curry was on the wrong end of two of the Warriors' eight third-quarter turnovers. He also gave them exactly what they needed.
He played nearly the entire quarter, and scored 11 points while making half of his eight shots and half of his six threes. Curry also added four assists and three rebounds in the third quarter. He wasn't done, too.
Willing his way to a Warriors win, Curry 21 points in the second half. Steph shot 8-for-14 from the field and 5-for-9 from three. For good measure, Curry also gave the Warriors six assists and five rebounds in the second half.
Second-Half Steph was the difference. With 77 regular-season games to go, this won't be the last time that happens.
Second Unit Steps Up
Prior to the start of the season, there was plenty of talk about how deep the Warriors are. Four games in, the narrative quickly shifted with a ton of question marks. In need of a win before hitting the road for five games, the second unit stepped up.
The Warriors' bench, which keep being a minus in plus-minus, was a plus-7 in the win. The Heat's bench on the other hand was a minus-25.
James Wiseman was the first player off the bench and gave the Warriors 10 points and six rebounds. Wiseman was followed by Jordan Poole and Moses Moody. Poole led the reserves with 11 points and seven assists, and Moody, while hustling and diving for loose balls scored six points and grabbed four rebounds.
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JaMychal Green did a bit of everything with six points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block and his plus-4 was the best of the Warriors' bench. With Donte DiVincenzo sidelined, Ty Jerome played eight minutes, drained a 3-pointer and was a plus-2.
If there was a turning point in the win, the bench stepping up could go a long way as the Warriors embark on a long trip away from home.