Warriors avoid upset, defeat Wizards behind strong play in second half
SAN FRANCISCO — It wasn’t always pretty, but the Warriors got it done when it mattered most.
After a sluggish first half, Golden State’s offense found life in the final two quarters and held on to beat the last-place Washington Wizards 122-114 to open its two-game home stand.
Stephen Curry scored 26 points and Andrew Wiggins had a game-high 31 to lead Golden State. Dennis Schröder totaled 20 points and four assists. Moses Moody was big down the stretch for the Warriors as he scored 10 of his 13 points in the second half.
Draymond Green exited the game at the nine minute mark of the first quarter and did not return. The team announced the injury was due to left calf tightness – an ailment that kept Green out back-to-back games in early December.
Former Warrior Jordan Poole made his second appearance at Chase Center as a member of the Wizards and hit 8 of 15 3-pointers, finishing with 38 points to lead Washington.
After Green’s exit, the Warriors struggled to stop the Wizards offense in the first half.
Washington led by seven after the first period and ballooned that lead to as much as 10 in the second quarter.
Poole hit five of his eight 3-point attempts and finished the half with 23 points to lead all scorers. Curry and Wiggins combined for 25 points to keep the Warriors within striking distance, but Golden State still trailed 60-53 at the halftime break.
The Warriors opened the third quarter on a 9-5 run and took a one-point lead later in the period on Andrew Wiggins’ corner 3-pointer on a pass from Dennis Schröder.
Golden State finished the quarter strong and took a 89-87 lead going into the final 12 minutes of play.
Both teams went back-and-forth in the opening minutes of the fourth, but Golden State started to pull away late. The Warriors methodically picked apart the Wizards’ backline rotations, which led to open shots at the rim and on the perimeter.
Curry hit a 3-pointer at the 2:30 mark, giving the Warriors a 115-105 lead late in the fourth.
The Warriors outscored the Wizards 18-11 in the final minutes of play to seal the victory.
Golden State will play eight of its next nine games at home and will host the Boston Celtics on Monday.