Warriors Hang On to Beat Nets

It got much closer than the Warriors would have liked, but the Dubs did just enough to hold on to a 110-106 victory over the Nets on Saturday.

Klay Thompson made the biggest shot of the game, knocking down a deep 3-pointer with 12 seconds left to put the Warriors up by four. He’d make a pair of free throws moments later to put the game on ice.

But the Warriors needed every point possible to put away the Nets. Brooklyn answered double-digit deficits on multiple occasions and overcame a 19-point deficit midway through the third quarter and took the lead early in the fourth quarter.

But the Warriors made enough plays down the stretch, and Stephen Curry and Thompson came through with some key baskets in the fourth period.

Andrew Wiggins finished with 24 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and three steals, Curry had 19 points and eight assists and Thompson tallied 16 points in the win.

After going 6-1 on this homestand over the last two weeks, the Warriors will hit the road for a two-day, two-game Texas road trip that opens on Monday in Houston.

CLUTCH KLAY
Klay Thompson was having a rough go of it, but he came through with the game on the line. Thompson was just 2-for-11 through the first three quarters, but he made all three of his shot attempts in the fourth period. And during that stretch, no other Warriors player made a shot from the floor. Playing his ninth game since missing two full seasons due to injury, Thompson scored nine of the team’s final 14 points, including the clutch 3-pointer off of a Stephen Curry assist with 12.1 seconds left.

CURRY PRESERVERES
Like his fellow brother, Stephen Curry wasn’t having his finest game. He shot 1-for-7 from the floor in the first half and didn’t connect on a 3-pointer until the first possession of the third period. He turned the ball over on a few key possessions in the fourth quarter as Brooklyn rallied, but Curry overcame that with that key assist on Thompson’s clutch three. In addition to that, Curry knocked down two of his three 3-point attempts in the final quarter. Curry would finish the game with 19 points, 14 of those coming in the fourth quarter, including a perfect 6-for-6 on free throws.

WIGGINS CARRIES THE LOAD
With Curry and Thompson struggling early, Andrew Wiggins carried the Dubs early. The soon-to-be first-time All-Star had 14 of his 24 points in the first period, but he affected the game in so many ways beyond his scoring, picking up two steals, two blocks and five rebounds, the last of which came on this nasty putback slam.

RESILIENT NETS
Playing without Kevin Durant and James Harden, the Nets were led by Kyrie Irving. The veteran guard led Brooklyn back from a 13-point deficit in the second quarter and a 19-point hole in the fourth, finishing the game with 32 points and seven assists. Irving got help from another veteran guard in Patty Mills, who connected on six 3-pointers on a 24-point night. Behind that veteran savvy backcourt, the Nets nearly pulled off the improbable, but the Dubs made just enough plays down the stretch.

UNSUNG HEROES
Otto Porter Jr. made his fifth straight start, and he came through with another efficient performance, scoring 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting. He has shot 59.5 percent from the floor over those five starting assignments, and on Saturday he tallied four blocks to go along with his much-needed shot making. In addition to Porter’s strong play, Jordan Poole made an instant impact off the bench, making two 3-pointers and adding three assists in his first five minutes of game action. Poole would finish the game with 17 points and six assists, and he made one of the most improbable shots of the game.

More Notables …

• Golden State completed its seven-game homestand with a 6-1 record and has won eight of its last nine games at home, improving to 24-4 (.857) at Chase Center, the league’s best home record… Golden State’s overall record of 37-13 (.740) trails only Phoenix for the NBA’s best mark.
• During the seven-game homestand, the Warriors outscored (111.7 to 102.1 ppg), outshot from the field (46.3 to 39.9 FG%), outshot from 3-point range (35.0 to 30.3 3P%).
• The Warriors have won 14 of their last 16 home games vs. the Nets… Golden State swept its season series with Brooklyn.
• The Warriors have won five-straight games and six of seven games overall.
• Golden State held its opponent to under 40.0% shooting from the field for the 12th time this season (including three of the last four – 39.5 FG% in that four-game span) and is 11-1 in those games… The Warriors lead the NBA in opponent field goal percentage, holding their opponents to 42.5 FG%.
• The Warriors scored 110 points, improving to 24-1 this season when tallying 110-or-more points.
• Tonight marked the Warriors 405th consecutive sellout.
• Stephen Curry passed Chris Mullin (807) for the most games played as a Warrior in franchise history (808)… According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Curry joins Mike Conley (Memphis), LeBron James (Cleveland) and Reggie Miller (Indiana) as the only players to lead a franchise in career points, assists, 3-pointers and games played… In the last seven games he has dished out 55 assists while turning the ball over 19 times.
• Andrew Wiggins grabbed a season-high-tying eight rebounds (12/28 vs. DEN)… Wiggins has made 56.3% of his 3-point shots over the last two games (9-of-16)… He is making a career-best 41.4% of his shots from behind the arc this season.
• Otto Porter Jr. recorded a career-high-tying four blocked shots (12/20/21 vs. SAC)… He made his fifth consecutive appearance in the starting lineup and 11th overall, scoring in double figures for the 19th time this season with 16 points tonight.
• Kevon Looney grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds, his fourth outing of 15-plus rebounds this season… Looney is averaging 10.7 rebounds per game over his last 12 games… With Nemanja Bjelica missing tonight’s game due to bilateral back spasms, Looney is the only player to have played in all 50 Warriors games this season.
• Klay Thompson recorded 16 points (nine in the fourth quarter) and a season-high six rebounds (prev. five, last game vs. MIN).