Barnes’ Game Winner lifts Golden State Warriors Over Sixers
105. 93. 108. 41. Final
Harrison Barnes‘ game winner with .2 left in the quarter saved the Golden State Warriors from a disastrous collapse agains the Philadelphia 76ers.
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The Warriors got off to a slow start early in the first quarter. Golden State trailed for the first time in 189 minutes when Philadelphia led 8-6 a few minutes into the quarter, according to ESPN Stats and Info. After Steve Kerr called a timeout following a blown defensive possession where Ish Smith walked down the lane for a wide open layup, the Warriors stepped their game up. They went on a 15-0 run, led by Stephen Curry‘s passing and Klay Thompson‘s marksmanship. The Warriors won the quarter 34-28.
Jahlil Okafor led Philadelphia’s second unit to get back into the game, keeping his team close. The Warriors’ bench struggled to find offense, but once the starters returned they went on another run. The ball hopped around for Golden State, finding an open man every time. Going into the half, the Warriors dished out franchise record-tying 26 assists on 32 made baskets. They won the second quarter as well 39-26.
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The starters played for about half the quarter until Kerr pulled them once the lead continued to grow. It seemed as if the Warriors were on their way to a comfortable 20+ point victory, but the second unit struggled to score. The 24 point lead was cut by 10 late in the quarter. The Warriors scored two late baskets and pushed it back to 19. The Warriors and Sixers tied the third, scoring just 18 points apiece.
The fourth quarter was almost disastrous for Golden State. Kerr stuck with the bench players and they couldn’t score or stop the Sixers. The lead was cut all the way down and the starters had to come back in. But they couldn’t stop the bleeding either. The Warriors and the Sixers exchanged baskets late. With a minute left, Curry drove and finished with a reverse layup. Then Isaiah Canaan hit a three-pointer in the corner and drew the foul for the four point play. With the lead at two, the Warriors turned the ball over and Smith threw down a game-tying dunk that electrified the whole arena.
With the shot clock off, Curry isolated near half court. Philly opted to send a double team and he found Draymond Green in the middle of the lane. When the defense collapsed on him, he kicked it out to Barnes who drained the game-winning three-pointer in front of the Sixers’ bench with .2 left.
Thompson scored a game-high 32 points. Andrew Bogut and Green had 16 and 13 rebounds respectively.
Warriors
- Field-goal percentage: 49.5% (47-95)
- Three-point percentage: 43.3% (13-30)
- Rebounds: 57
- Assists: 37
- Turnovers: 23
76ers
- Field-goal percentage: 45.7% (42-92)
- Three-point percentage: 34.5% (10-29)
- Rebounds: 40
- Assists: 23
- Turnovers: 10
Good to Know
The Warriors have 30-plus assists for the sixth-straight game, the first team to do so since the Warriors in April 1994 (seven-straight).
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) January 30, 2016
What’s on Tap
The Warriors will travel to New York and take on the Knicks in Madison Square Garden.