The Golden State Warriors have completed a second-half comeback victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, with a 112-102 victory emphatically stamped by a huge highlight slam from Trayce Jackson-Davis in the closing minutes.
With the Warriors clinging to a one-point lead with just over a minute to play, Jackson-Davis made French phenom Victor Wembanyama pay for his steal attempt with a thunderous and-1 poster dunk to snuff out any chance of a Spurs comeback.
The Golden State Warriors overcame a double-digit first-half deficit to defeat the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center on Monday
After giving up 126 points to San Antonio in a 13-point loss on Saturday, Golden State's defensive issues remained in the first-half as the home team continued their hot shooting from beyond the arc.
The Warriors gave up 37 first-quarter points to trail by eight, yet pulled within two at half-time thanks to a 29-23 second-quarter. The Spurs started the third on an 8-0 run, forcing a Steve Kerr timeout with the visitors under serious pressure.
Their defense responded though, completely restricting San Antonio over the remainder of the period. Golden State outscored their opposition 32-10 over the final 10 minutes of the quarter, turning a 10-point deficit into a 12-point lead.
The Spurs threatened a fourth-quarter comeback but were never able to rediscover their best offensive rhythm, before Jackson-Davis put the exclamation mark on a 10-point Warrior victory.
ARE YOU SERIOUS TJD!? 😱 pic.twitter.com/1Zp83RwvLn
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 12, 2024
It was a team effort from Golden State without franchise superstar Stephen Curry, with six players scoring at least 13 points. That was led by Jonathan Kuminga who had 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting, 15 of which came in the second-half.
Klay Thompson added 21 but shot just 8-of-21 from the field, while Chris Paul was arguably the Warriors' most important player with 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in his 33 minutes.
The Golden State rookies were again impressive, with Brandin Podziemski finding his three-point shot to finish with 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Jackson-Davis had his fifth career double-double, recording 13 points, 11 rebounds and five assists while finishing a game-high +20.
Wembanyama led the Spurs with 27 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks, but the Warriors were able to curb his influence enough to ensure victory in the second-half. Golden State will now travel to Dallas to face the Mavericks at America Airlines Center on Wednesday.