Green’s Big Game Lifts Warriors over Wizards

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Washington Wizards on Draymond Green’s near triple-double.

Draymond Green fell one assist short of another triple-double, but the Warriors were able to hold off the Washington Wizards as they continue their campaign on the all-time single season record.

After back-to-back 40 point games, Klay Thompson‘s hot shooting continued early on as he drained several consecutive shots from beyond the arc. The Warriors looked like they were on their way to an smooth victory, but John Wall forced his team to pick up the intensity. He lead by example, chasing down Stephen Curry on the break and rejecting a layup.

Curry later redeemed himself by throwing down an electrifying one-handed dunk on the break that brought everyone out of their seats in the building. The MVP finished with 26 points, 7 assists, and 7 rebounds. The Warriors, as a team, were careless and sloppy with the ball and Curry was at the forefront, turning the ball over five times.

The Wizards made a run in the second quarter to take the lead from Golden State, maintaining a near double-digit lead. The Warriors couldn’t get out of their own way, missing shots, turning the ball over, and letting Washington get good looks. Then, in typical Warriors fashion, they took the lead in the blink of an eye. Green got to the line, Curry pulled off some of his incredible moves, and the Wizards’ lead disappeared just as fast as it came. A 12-0 run gave the Warriors the lead heading into the locker room.

The Warriors never really seemed to settle in as they continued to play a sloppy game. Golden State was on cruise control, turning it on only when they needed to. They would start to build a lead then let the Wizards back into it. They’d show flashes such as when Green threw an alley-oop off the backboard to Andrew Bogut, but then they made silly plays such as Curry throwing a behind-the-back pass, intended for Leandro Barbosa, into the stands.

The Warriors’ march on history is still in tact, but they do need to play a near perfect rest of the season. They need to go 6-2 over their next 8 games to break the record and they will continue to fight for history tomorrow against the Utah Jazz.

The theme throughout this game wasn’t Curry’s MVP year or the Warriors’ historic pace, but TNT’s Craig Sager and his very public battle with leukemia. After seemingly beating it, Sager recently announced that it had returned and doctors said he could have as little as 3-6 months left to live. Sager, known for his loud outfits, is fighting with tremendous courage and poise, continuing his great work on the sidelines. Everyone has expressed their support for Sager. When asked by Sager if he could use some rest, Curry answered “seeing you and what you’re doing, we’ve got no excuse.”

Tale of the Tape 

Warriors

• Field-goal percentage: 44.2% (38-86)
• Three-point percentage: 44.0% (11-25)
• Rebounds: 54
• Assists: 27
• Turnovers: 16

Wizards

• Field-goal percentage: 41.9% (36-86)
• Three-point percentage: 21.7% (5-23)
• Rebounds: 48
• Assists: 26
• Turnovers: 17

Good to Know

What’s on Tap

The Warriors will take on the Utah Jazz in a potential first round preview tomorrow.