With a 118-114 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night, the Golden State Warriors are now 12-14 on the season and have won back-to-back games for the first time since November 3.
Given how the season has gone so far for the Warriors, it seemed unlikely that Golden State would win. The Warriors defended well, as Klay Thompson scored 28 points on 16 field-goal attempts. Meanwhile, Andrew Wiggins stepped up from the bench, scoring 25 points in 29 minutes and going 9-for-12 from the field.
For the first time since November 8, 2018, Steph Curry played in a game and failed to hit a three-point field goal. It ended an NBA-record 268-game streak. In fact, it was one of Curry’s worst-scoring performances in some time. Despite playing in more than 31 minutes of action, Curry scored just 7 points on 2-for-12 shooting from the field. He was 0-for-8 from behind the arc and even missed a free throw late that left the door open for Portland
Wiggins and Thompson picked up the scoring slack, but the young players also made a significant contribution. In just 17 minutes, Trayce Jackson-Davis scored 14 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block to continue making a strong case for a more significant role. Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski both scored double-digits.
As the Warriors built an early advantage of 22 points in the third quarter, the Trail Blazers steadily cut into Golden State’s lead.
Curry forced a deep three with a lead of 113-108 in the final minute, likely motivated by a desire to maintain his streak. A long rebound led to a transition and one for the Blazers. Chris Paul replied with a massive midrange fadeaway to maintain a two-possession lead.
Following one more and-one, Curry found himself at the free-throw line with a one-point lead. Curry missed both shots, and the Blazers didn’t use a timeout
