The Warriors played their first full-building game at Chase Center in 575 days on Wednesday, and the home crowd was treated to a 118-116 preseason Warriors victory over the Nuggets.
Jordan Poole led the Dubs in scoring for the second straight game, pacing the club with 17 points. Stephen Curry (14 points), Otto Porter (15) and Nemanja Bjelica (13) were the only other Warriors scorers to reach double figures, and that trio combined to shoot 11-for-17 on 3-pointers.
Now 2-0 in the preseason, the Warriors continue to prepare for the upcoming regular season with a Friday night exhibition home matchup against the Lakers.
TEAM LEADERS
ANOTHER KIND OF POOLE PARTY
The Warriors went with the same starting lineup they featured in Monday’s preseason opening victory in Portland: Stephen Curry, Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney. From that group, only Poole played in more than 20 minutes. While Poole connected on seven 3-pointers in Monday’s preseason opener, the third-year guard did it in a different way on Wednesday, attacking the basket and converting with some crafty finishes.
PLAY OF THE GAME
After trailing by as many as 17 points in the first quarter, the Warriors rallied through the remainder of the first half, and Stephen Curry put the Dubs ahead with his fourth and final 3-pointer of the game, this one coming in the closing seconds of the second quarter.
CLUTCH MULDER
Mychal Mulder made only two shots of the game, but they were arguably the two biggest shots of the game. A tight game throughout the fourth quarter, Mulder’s first 3-pointer of the game with 2:48 left in the game marked the 22nd and final lead change of the game. Twenty-four seconds later, Mulder connected on another 3-pointer in transition to give the Dubs a five-point advantage, matching their largest lead of the game, and the Warriors held on the rest of the way.
SPLASH IN RESERVES
The Warriors’ offseason acquisitions of Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica made splashing debuts in their first game, as Warriors, in Chase Center. Porter went 4-for-6 on 3-pointers and has now made four treys in each of the team’s first two preseason games. Bjelica, has also stroked it well, shooting 3-for-5 from distance and is now 5-for-8 on 3-pointers through two games.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JK
The seventh pick in this year’s NBA Draft, Jonathan Kuminga’s first career home game marked another cause for celebration, as the Warriors rookie turned 19 on Wednesday. Kuminga played six minutes in the win, tallying three points, two rebounds and an assist.