Call them the "Comeback Kings." That’s probably how they’re referring to the Warriors in Los Angeles.
After being overmatched at the start and for most of the night, they had enough fight to make the defending champions sweat and eventually evaporate.
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The result was a shocking 115-113 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on Monday that lifted the Warriors’ record to 7-6.
Steph Curry, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andrew Wiggins combined for 67 points to lead the offense, while Draymond Green totaled nine assists and eight rebounds.
Here are three takeaways from a win the Warriors pulled out of the mud.
Another character triumph for the Warriors
Golden State Warriors
They did it to the Los Angeles Clippers and now they’ve done it to the Lakers -- the two teams expected to battle for a place in the NBA Finals.
The Warriors overcame a 22-point deficit to beat the Clippers on Jan. 8 at Chase Center. On this night, they wiped out a 19-point deficit to take down the other LA team.
That doesn’t mean the Warriors are superior to the Lakers or the Clippers. They are not. Both of those teams are loaded, hence the high expectations.
The Warriors won despite Curry struggling with his shot and finishing 8-of-22 from the field, 3-of-12 from beyond the arc. They won despite being out-rebounded again, this time by a whopping 18 (50-32).
They won because they limited the Lakers to 31.6 percent shooting in the fourth quarter while outscoring them 34-21.
This is not something the Warriors want to make a habit of, but it’s the best way to display the resilience of the team.
Oubre still teasing, or is it for real this time?
For four solid weeks, the Warriors and their fans have been waiting for the Kelly Oubre Jr. who they thought they were getting when the team acquired him in November. They got another glimpse of that guy in this game.
Oubre scored a season-high 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting, including 2-of-8 from distance. He also had two steals and two blocks, finishing plus-5 in 37 minutes -- the only starter to finish in the plus column.
He was feeling so good about himself at one point, after draining a 3-pointer in the second quarter, that he blew a kiss in the general direction of Lakers big man Montrezl Harrell -- and was hit with a technical foul for his exuberance.
Oubre has had four games in which is offense was a key factor. Maybe giving him minutes with the second unit unlocked something.
The question still to be answered is whether the 25-year-old wing can bring this on a more consistent basis.
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Wiseman’s rookie mistakes
James Wiseman continues to be by turns scintillating and maddening. He was mostly maddening in this game.
Already saddled with four fouls, he tried a coast-to-coast foray early in the second quarter and dribbled right into Lakers veteran big man Marc Gasol. Charge. Foul No. 5. To the bench with 9:37 left in the third quarter.
Wiseman generally displayed the tunnel vision that has resulted in five assists in his first 255 NBA minutes. Once the ball hit his hands, he looked to shoot. Didn’t matter which of his teammates were cutting or otherwise getting open.
Wiseman finished with four points, three rebounds, five turnovers and five fouls in only 12:51. The Warriors were better with him on the bench.
The learning curve of a 19-year-old big man is going to be steep. That was expected. But Wiseman is starting to repeat the same mistakes. That’s something to keep an eye on.