Game Report: Warriors solidify standing with victory over Jazz

Two things we learned

1. Preparing for Thompson’s return

In good news for Warriors fans, young guard Jordan Poole was back after a stint in health and safety protocols. But somewhat surprisingly, Gary Payton II remained in the starting lineup as Poole came off the bench.

Is that a big a sign as any of Klay Thompson’s imminent return, preparing Poole for his sixth man role? He was solid in his return, recording ten points in just under 17 minutes.

2. Warriors resilience on show

After a strong first half, things were looking rosy for the league-leading Warriors. But when Utah’s offense started to fire, Golden State struggled to keep their cool.

With the Jazz run aided by questionable refereeing decisions, and with the home crowd inspired, things begun to look shaky as Utah led by eight early in the fourth. From there, the Dubs could have easily folded to a disappointing but respectable loss.

But they weren’t about to lie down, displaying a resilience that wasn’t only nice to see, but one that’s also necessary in teams aspiring to win a championship.

The win keeps the Warriors one game ahead of Phoenix, and 2.5 games in front of Utah, with a matchup against the Miami Heat to come on Monday.