Some were concerned about the shooting efficiency of both teams ahead of a one-off game at the Alamodome in San Antonio, but that proved to be a false prophecy as the Golden State Warriors tallied a season-high in points to move back to .500 on the season.
The reigning NBA champions produced a dazzling offensive display in front of a record crowd, with their bench contributing 77 points amid a season-high 144 points in a 31-point blowout win against the San Antonio Spurs.
In front of a record 68,323 at the Alamodome, the Golden State Warriors got their first road win since December 18 with a 114-113 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Golden State were efficient throughout the matchup, opening up a 13-4 lead after three-and-a-half minutes and never really looking back. The margin was just five after the opening period but quickly extended to double-digits in a 41-point second-quarter.
The Warriors finished with 74 points in the first-half, shooting above 55% from the field and 40% from three-point range. Donte DiVincenzo, in particular, seemed to enjoy the different facility in a ten-point second period. The Warriors’ only problem came through their commonly occuring foul issues, with the Spurs getting to the line 20 times to keep the Warrior half-time lead at 14.
Divinc3nzo
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 14, 2023
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San Antonio cut the lead to six early in the second-half, yet that’s as close as they got with Golden State quickly putting the game to bed in what resulted as another 40-point quarter. The efficient combination of DiVincenzo and Jordan Poole, along with the blowout margin, allowed the Warriors to rest Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson as each logged around 23 minutes.
The fourth-quarter was all about how many total points Golden State could produce, and a further boost in confidence from a promising bench unit. Poole led the Warriors in scoring with 25 points on 50% shooting to go with six assists, while DiVincenzo added 22, seven rebounds and two steals.
The backcourt bench duo was complemented by a combined 25 points from Anthony Lamb and a more-impressive Moses Moody, while veteran Andre Iguodala had five points and four rebounds in his 18 minutes. Ty Jerome was inactive for the game as the Warriors look to preserve his 50-game limit.
As for the starters, Curry continued to show no ill-effects from his shoulder injury with 15 points on 50% shooting, with Thompson and Andrew Wiggins adding 16 points apiece. Kevon Looney produced another double-double with 14 points and ten rebounds, while Draymond Green stuffed the stat sheet with six points, 12 rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block.
Golden State shot 54.5% from the field and 37.5% from three, giving the record attendance a taste of what the team hopes will be a resurgent, more dominant second-half of the season. The Warriors are now 21-21 and remain in the Western Conference’s top eight, with a game against the Chicago Bulls forthcoming on Sunday.