Steph Curry dazzled with an impressive 41 points, while Jordan Poole provided a much-needed spark off the bench with 32 points, helping the flailing Golden State Warriors secure a 127-118 victory over the Washington Wizards on Monday, after a troubling stretch of 4 losses in 5 games.
Draymond Green's performance was nothing short of remarkable, as he produced an impressive stat line of 17 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds.
Kristaps Porzingis led Washington with 32 points. Kyle Kuzma added 16 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, but struggled from the field, where he was only 5 for 20.
The Warriors trailed 106-105 when Curry made a fallaway 3-pointer against a double team. He made another basket, assisted on the next, and hit a 3-pointer to put the Warriors in front, 115-111 with 3:58 to play. Curry made another step back 3-pointer with 2:01 to play and Poole hit one with 1:29 to play to vault Golden State in front 123-114.
The Wizards reached their biggest lead of the night 89-80, following a Deni Avdija layup with 4:33 to play in the third quarter. But the Warriors quickly closed back to within two points at 93-91 on a Curry 3-pointer, then tied the game on an Anthony Lamb layup. Neither team maintained a lead for more than a spurt through the first three quarters, which had 12 ties, 12 lead changes, and finished tied, 93-93.
Three players dominated the first half. Poole scored 26 points on 10 for 13 shooting, Curry added 21, and Porzingis scored 25 points, his most for a game in January, in the first two quarters. Only Porzingis reached double figures for the Wizards in the first half.
Washington led by six at one point and Golden State by seven before the first half ended with the Warriors ahead, 69-64.
Both coaches were reverent when asked pregame about playing on the Martin Luther King holiday.
"Think about a guy, 35 years old, it really puts things in perspective from where I sit,” said 47-year-old Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. "His ability to command a movement, to change things socially, around the world, not just in this country. Those things take time. Still a work in progress.
"But dramatically different from it was one generation ago. Things that I take for granted, my parents couldn’t do. Not only because it wasn’t safe to do, it wasn’t legal. To put that in perspective is really mind blowing.”
Steve Kerr said he is always excited to see "American history” right in front of him during visits to the nation’s capital. This trip included playing on Martin Luther King Day and visiting the White House in succession.
"We try to preach perspective a lot with our players, but we all get wrapped up in the season and the results of every game, sometimes they seem so important,” Kerr said. "It’s good to have a couple of days like this where you’re reminded of what’s really important and how lucky we all are to be doing what we’re doing.”
