It took a while but the Golden State Warriors finally beat off the Washington Wizards on Saturday night, claiming a 122-114 victory despite 38 points from former guard Jordan Poole.
The Warriors trailed by 10 early in the third-quarter as Poole threatened to lead the Wizards to a surprise victory, but the home team did enough to recover and move back above .500 on the season.
The Warriors suffered a double injury blow against the Wizards
Unfortunately for Golden State, Saturday's victory could come at a significant cost after concerning injuries to veteran stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. The latter was back in the lineup after a three-game absence, but lasted only three minutes before leaving and not returning with what the Warriors are listing as calf tightness.
Curry shook off concern over his thumb in the second-half to finish with 26 points in 34 minutes, only to leave the game as well in the final 90 seconds after rolling an ankle in an awkward play defending Poole.
Already playing without Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and Kyle Anderson, the Warriors will be hoping for some good news on Curry and Green ahead of a big matchup with the reigning champion Boston Celtics on Monday.
Looked like a painful left ankle twist late here for Steph Curry. Here he is limping and trying to test it on the bench. pic.twitter.com/kYzU2v9Cb2
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 19, 2025
It was Andrew Wiggins who was the positive story for Golden State, with the 2022 All-Star going for 19 points in the second-half and 31 for the game which included a recent upwards trend of relentlessly attacking inside.
Wiggins shot 12-of-22 from the floor and added four made 3-pointers, while also recording 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks in a dynamic all-around display. The Warriors would have also been pleased with an improved performance from Dennis Schroder, with the veteran guard delivering his best game in a Golden State uniform with 20 points and four assists on 7-of-14 shooting.
The Warriors withstood a 3-point shooting barrage from the Wizards who went 22-of-45 (48.9%) from distance. Golden State, on the other hand, made only 14 threes and uncharacteristically did their best work on the interior.
Trayce Jackson-Davis (15) and Kevon Looney (13) combined for 28 rebounds, with the latter, Gary Payton II and Moses Moody all contributing at least 10 points off the bench. Golden State only committed nine turnovers and recorded six more offensive rebounds, both of which proved pivotal in the end result.
The Warriors will be hoping this is the start of a fruitful run where they play eight of nine games at Chase Center, with the Celtics coming to town looking to avenge a 118-112 loss at TD Garden earlier in the season.