Game Report: Golden State Warriors scrape past Utah Jazz

Given their ongoing stretch of subpar, arduous play, the Golden State Warriors must surely be undertaking the notion – ‘good teams find a way to win’.

After a struggle against the Houston Rockets that required a Stephen Curry buzzer-beater, the Warriors again battled in unconvincing fashion at Chase Center on Sunday.

This time at least, they were able to overcome a major Western Conference foe, grinding past the Utah Jazz in a grueling contest where the defensive aspect became more evident as the game wore on.

Despite missing key stalwarts, the Warriors strengthened their position in the West standings thanks to an unconvincing albeit important 94-92 victory.

The first half was largely a prelude to what was to come; the Warriors held a narrow lead throughout the majority, yet the Jazz always found an answer when the Dubs threatened to break the game open with a pulsating run.

After taking just a one-point lead into halftime, Golden State found considerable momentum as they started the third on a 24-12 run.

With All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell missing in concussion protocol, it appeared lackluster offensive production would result in Utah’s downfall. They did manage to steady late in the period, setting up an exciting finish for the anxious crowd.

With both teams lacking key offensive personnel, the fourth quarter evolved into nothing short of an old-style stalemate. As the Warriors failed to score a point in the opening three and a half minutes, Utah’s 11-0 run propelled them from an eight-point deficit into a three-point lead.

Yet they too went ice cold, allowing Golden State to regain the lead despite any resemblance with their offensive best. Given the nature of the period, every basket seemed twice as valuable as would otherwise be.

That’s why, when Kevon Looney converted a putback and-1 to give them a five-point lead, the Warriors must have felt as if the game was in their keeping with 1:48 remaining. That proved the case as both teams continued to squander golden opportunities.

The conclusion wasn’t without its drama though as Bojan Bogdanovic drilled a triple to cut the margin to two with 32.8 seconds remaining. After Jordan Poole misfired on a three on the other end, Bogdanovic looked to repeat the heroics with a step-back three over Otto Porter Jr.

Fortunately for the Warriors, his game-winning attempt rattled agonizingly out, with Royce O’Neal’s attempted putback failing to fall over the rim. The Warriors had escaped again with their second consecutive two-point victory.

Curry’s shooting struggles continued, going 5-20 from the floor and an atrocious 1-13 from three. With those percentages, the aforementioned trio missing and a fourth quarter that saw more minutes than points scored, it’s a minor miracle the Warriors found a way to win.

In Thompson’s absence, Jordan Poole again looked more comfortable in the starting line-up as he produced a Warrior high 20 points on an efficient 7-13 from the floor including 4-9 from deep. All the Warrior starters reached double figures, with Damion Lee providing a spark off the bench with four first-half triples.

The challenges only get tougher for the Warriors as they prepare to take on the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, a team whose currently 10-2 throughout the month of January.