With how weak the Golden State Warriors are right now, every win has felt like a miracle recently. But this latest one may take the cake.
With seven players sidelined, including Stephen Curry and three of the 10 active players who received playing time on two-way contracts, the Warriors displayed some courageous and inspired basketball to defeat the Houston Rockets 115-113 in overtime on the road.
Brandin Podziemski led the Dubs to the upset with 26 points and nine rebounds. He scored 11 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, including a 26-foot bomb with 2:32 left in OT, giving the Warriors a lead they would ultimately hold.
"I thought it was Brandin's best game of the year," coach Steve Kerr said after the win. "Had just the right mix of on- and off-ball attacks. You saw him make that flare and dive opportunity to start overtime that gave us the lead. He recognizes those plays probably better than anyone else on the field."
With Podziemski's heroics, Draymond Green turned back the clock to lead Golden State to an unexpected win. In a very Green-esque stat line, the veteran star produced 10 points, five rebounds and eight assists while protecting Rockets star Kevin Durant as the primary defender.
“ Vintage Drummond,” Kerr said. "Defense, leadership, force, passing."
Green, who has struggled recently, showed why he remains a valuable cornerback for Golden State. In sports when the lights are at their brightest, and the stars are on the other side, the Warriors need to dim the lights - Green is the kind of guy who rises to the occasion.
"I don't enjoy guarding Kevin," a good-natured Green said after the game. "I enjoy competing against great players, and Kevin is one of the greatest players of all time. Top five NBA basketball players in the history of the game... I'm always excited for that."
How the understaffed Dubs made it on the road
Surrounding those two dominant performances, De'Anthony Melton collected 23 points, three steals and two blocks, Al Horford added 17 points, and Gui Santos collected 14 points and six rebounds and had a game-high +20. Melton and Horford made a big 3-3 in the fourth quarter to send the Warriors to overtime.
But the Warriors also got this win because of their two-way guys, guys who aren't the 13th, 14th, or even 15th man on the bench. Golden State got valuable minutes from rookies LJ Cryer, Malefi Lyon and Nate Williams, three players under two-way contracts who were headed to the G-League Santa Cruz team earlier this week. With key rotational pieces Moses Moody and Will Richard out with minor injuries, Kerr relied on all three of them.
Cryer, who is no stranger to big moments in his time with the NCAA powerhouse Houston Cougars, collected 12 points off the bench, including a huge 3-pointer in overtime. Lyons somehow finds himself guarding Reed Shepard of all POA players and looks solid while doing so. And Williams, whom the Warriors acquired just two weeks ago, gave him 18 solid minutes when he needed them.
“A great group, these young guys have come in,” Kerr said. "Nate Williams has played really well for us. Malefi, you see the energy he brings. It was really fun to watch LJ tonight...come out tonight, hit four threes, big shots, big minutes. We started him in overtime because we were trying to keep Melton's minutes down. He made some big plays for us, he's a winner."
hold the fort until curry returns
At this point, every win for the Warriors keeps them afloat until Curry comes back and saves them from sinking.
Since most of the teams below them have languished the rest of the season, it is highly unlikely that the Dubs will make it out of the play-in tournament. However, a win like this keeps them firmly in the eighth seed, as the Clippers and Blazers look to challenge them for the relative safety provided by the play-in slot.
But perhaps most importantly, wins like this provide a boost to morale and something Green understands he will need moving forward.
“It felt great,” Green said of the understaffed Warriors' upset win. "Under the circumstances, [ten] Friends, friends, dropping like flies, it's a good morale booster. You need these throughout the season. And obviously, we're trying to keep it together until we get Steph back. This is a big victory for us. This is what you can build on. But it feels great.”
Other notables
- Kristaps Porzingis, who is with the team on this road trip, got a pregame workout. This is an encouraging sign for the centre, who had missed the last six matches due to illness. He remains out indefinitely, but considering that his ability to practice has declined, this is a step in the right direction.
- Speculation ran rampant about whether the Warriors would sign Curry after the 10-day reevaluation was announced. But Green is confident Curry will be back this season. Green told reporters that Curry didn't want to call it quits and Curry messaged him, "Keep going, I know it's hard, but I promise you, I'm coming back."
