The Warriors tied the franchise record for most wins in a season after defeating the visiting Washington Wizards 102-94 on Tuesday night.
The Warriors tied the franchise record for most wins in a season after defeating the visiting Washington Wizards 102-94 on Tuesday night. Draymond Green narrowly missed another triple-double, tallying 15 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists. Stephen Curry scored a team-high 26 points in addition to seven assists and seven boards, while Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes both reached double-digits with 16 and 14 points, respectively. With the victory, Golden State improves to 67-7, matching their win total from last season.
GAME LEADERS
In a matchup featuring two of the best backcourts in the entire league, it was the Splash Brothers who got the better of the Wizards on Tuesday night, and they got off to a strong start as Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for Golden State’s first 14 points of the game. Harrison Barnes’ jumper off an assist from Draymond Green put the Warriors up 18-10 halfway through the opening quarter, and Curry’s dunk with 57 seconds left would maintain that advantage before an Otto Porter three-point play sent the game into the second quarter with Golden State holding a 27-22 lead.
Bradley Beal scored his team’s first six points of the second frame as part of an 11-4 Wizards’ run to open the quarter, putting Washington in front 33-31 with 8:21 remaining in the half. The two sides would then trade baskets until a 9-0 Washington burst widened their lead to 46-37 with 3:02 left to play. That would turn out to be the Wizards’ final lead of the game, as the Warriors closed out the frame on a 9-0 run to send the game into halftime with Golden State holding a slim 49-46 advantage.
Markieff Morris opened the second half with a three-pointer to tie things up, but Draymond Green’s own three-pointer on the ensuing possession put the Warriors back in front for good. After Washington pulled within a single point at 61-60 with 6:21 remaining in the quarter, Golden State responded with a 9-0 run to rebuild their cushion. The Wizards wouldn’t go away, however, pulling within two points before back-to-back baskets from Shaun Livingston and Green within the final minute gave the Warriors a 79-72 lead heading into the fourth and final quarter.
Golden State opened the fourth frame on an 8-1 run to build their advantage to double-digits, and it would remain that way until the final 80 seconds of the contest. Another 8-0 Warriors’ run capped by a Curry three-pointer gave Golden State their largest lead of the night at 95-76 with 6:07 remaining in the game, putting Washington in a hole they wouldn’t be able to dig themselves all the way out of. After a James Michael McAdoo put the Warriors up 100-86 with 2:47 left to play, the Wizards responded by scoring the next eight points of the game to make things interesting, but ultimately it was too little, too late. Two Harrison Barnes free throws with 12.2 seconds on the clock concluded the scoring for the game and finished off Golden State’s 102-94 victory. With the win, the Warriors improve to 67-7 on the season. They’ll attempt to set the franchise record for most wins in a season when they travel to Utah to take on the Jazz Wednesday night.