The Warriors made enough plays down the stretch and hung on to a 113-106 victory over the Lakers on Friday night at Oracle Arena. Kevin Durant had 33 points and both Draymond Green and Jordan Bell had double-doubles as the Dubs picked up their 11th straight win.
TEAM LEADERS
After holding a 23-point lead in the third quarter, the Dubs allowed the Lakers to get back into the game and briefly take the lead. Julius Randle capped a 12-2 L.A. run with a 3-pointer with 7:43 left in the game, but the Dubs got the lead right back when former Laker Nick Young converted a three-point play on the ensuing possession. The Dubs would cushion their fourth quarter advantage up to eight points before eventually settling for the seven-point win.
The win was the Warriors’ second against the Lakers this week, as the Dubs also won in L.A. 116-114 on Monday.
KD'S START
Durant made sure the Warriors got off on the right foot. He made all five of his shot attempts and had 14 of his game-high 33 points in the opening period. Durant added seven assists and seven rebounds and has now averaged 32.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 2.1 steals in the seven games that Stephen Curry has been out due to injury.
BELL STEPS UP
Rookie Jordan Bell played some of his best ball of his young career, picking up his first double-double of his career with 20 points and 10 rebounds. He was the first Warriors rookie to have a 20-and-10 game since Harrison Barnes in November of 2012. Not only did Bell put up the numbers, but he came through in crunch time as well, scoring a pair of baskets during the Dubs’ final run of the game.
DRAYMOND RETURNS
For the first time in exactly two weeks, the Warriors had Draymond Green in the lineup. Green had missed the prior four games due to right shoulder soreness, but showed little rust. He had his typical do-it-all kind of game, tallying 13 points, 11 boards, seven assists and two steals.
Up Next
No rest for the weary. Less than 20 hours after the conclusion of Friday’s win, the Dubs will be back at it with a Saturday evening matchup with the Nuggets. Like all weekend games at Oracle Arena this season, Saturday’s game will have an early tipoff time of 5:30 p.m. Find Tickets | Game Preview