Vet big continues to prove huge value as Golden State Warriors survive late scare

The Golden State Warriors have survived turnover woes and a late surge from the San Antonio Spurs to claim victory in their third In-Season Tournament game at Chase Center on Friday night.

The Warriors led by 15 with 2:25 remaining, only for the Spurs to pull within three in the final 20 seconds. Two-time MVP Stephen Curry eventually sealed it late at the free-throw line, with the 35-year-old again leading his team behind 35 points on 7-13 shooting from beyond the arc.

A 118-112 win over the San Antonio Spurs has kept the Golden State Warriors in the running to advance from Group C of the In-Season Tournament.

Curry was ably supported by veteran big man Dario Saric, with the Croatian continuing to prove one of the best-value signings of the offseason. Saric had 20 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals, shooting 4-7 from three-point range and finishing a +13 on the night.

After Steve Kerr inserted Moses Moody into the starting lineup for Chris Paul, Golden State started slowly as San Antonio racked up an early double-digit lead. Their advantage remained for a large portion of the first-half, before the Warriors restricted the visitors to just three points in the final 5:30 of the second-quarter.

The Spurs regained the lead at 68-66 in the third-quarter, but the hosts steadied and looked to break the game with an immediate 16-0 run. San Antonio's perseverance continued as they cut the margin to five at the end of the third, leaving the Warriors with a nervous final period against a team entering on a 10-game losing streak.

Jonathan Kuminga exploded for 11 points in the fourth-quarter as Golden State quickly built another comfortable advantage, though their propensity to turn the ball over recklessly nearly caused an almighty disaster in the final minutes.

The Warriors racked up an abysmal 24 turnovers, many of which came under little pressure. That issue was off-set however by 19-40 (47.5%) shooting from three-point range, with the trio of Curry, Saric and Klay Thompson combining for 14 of those.

Thompson had 15 points and six assists, though shot just 3-11 from the floor overall. Kuminga got all but one of his 12 points in the final period, while Andrew Wiggins was quiet again with just 10 points. Paul's bench production was positive, finishing with 10 assists, just one turnover, and recording a team-high +16 on the floor.

Golden State are now 2-1 in the In-Season Tournament ahead of their final game against the Kings in Sacramento on Tuesday. They're 8-9 on the season overall, with a three-day break on the horizon before that Kings matchup.