Eight minutes into Friday’s game in Phoenix, the Golden State Warriors found themselves on down by 17 points. With grit and determination, the Dubs were able to tighten up their play, get some shots to fall, and flip the early deficit into a 10-point victory over the Suns.
This high-energy performance the marked the tenth time the Warriors pulled-out a win after trailing by 10-or-more points in a game. Impressed? Well, how about this: Friday’s game was also the fourth outing of the season in which Golden State had trailed by 10-plus points and gone on to win by double-digits!
Not coincidentally, these games were fueled by dynamic player performances and highlights. Take a stroll down memory lane to see more from Golden State’s 10 triumphant comebacks from 10-point deficits.
It was just their second game of the year when the Warriors first found themselves on the unfavorable side of a 10-point margin. The game came down to the wire, and it was thanks to one of the newest Dubs, Jonas Jerebko, they completed the comeback. One week later, trailing by 10 with 1:51 left in the third to the New York Knicks, Golden State looked to Kevin Durant for help — and did he ever. Durant went off for 25 points in the fourth quarter, his new career high for points in one quarter. That push secured a 128-100 win that included a 38-point swing in just under 14 minutes.
That was not the only time Durant found himself pushing the Warriors out of a 10-point hole. In fact, during back-to-back games against the Sacramento Kings and Orlando Magic during late November, he had himself 41- and 49-point outings to overcome the deficit. This also made Durant the seventh player in Warriors history to have consecutive 40-point games. Klay Thompson was key in these two as well; besides totaling 31 and 29 points in those games respectively, he won the game against the Kings by putting back his own missed shot with 5.8 seconds left in the game.
Durant coming in clutch with a shot to keep the energy going. Sound familiar? The Warriors were in a similar hole early in their Finals rematch against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Poor shooting allowed the Cavs to take an early double-digit lead, but Curry flipped the switch and finished the quarter in Curry-like fashion: 25 points on seven 3-pointers made. He “cool ed off” and finish with 42 points. Durant provided fireworks late, hitting a deep three-point buzzer beater at the end of the third quarter to guide the team to a 129-105 win. From down 10 to winning by 24 — not bad!
Golden State and Sacramento found themselves in another thriller in December. With 4:23 left in the fourth quarter, the Kings took a 10-point lead over the Dubs. The trio of Curry, Durant, and Thompson would not let the Dubs loose that one though. All three made clutch plays in the final minutes to secure the late comeback and finished with a combined 95 points.
The word “entertaining” does not even do justice for their game against the Los Angeles Clippers in December. Locked in a duel that had 13 lead changes and 20 ties, the Clippers eventually took an 11-point lead with just over one minute left in the first half thanks to a franchise-record shooting performance from beyond the arc (78.3 percent). However, the Warriors overcame the odds! It came down to the final second, but Curry made an acrobatic right-handed scoop with 0.5 seconds left on the clock to seal the win.
Perhaps the most mesmerizing of Golden State’s come-from-behind victories came against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Warriors trailed for a majority of the second and third quarters, even going as far down as 17 points. But Curry would bring them back because, you know, Steph gonna Steph. He went off for 23 points and seven 3-pointers in the third quarter alone. By the end of the game, he had 41 points and set an NBA record with three consecutive games of at least eight 3-point shots made, and, of course, led them to the victory.
Their last meeting with Los Angeles Lakers also required a second half push to overcome a slow start. With 6:05 left in the third quarter, the Golden State Warriors found themselves down by 10 points. In need of a shift in momentum, the team got exactly what they wanted in the form of a DeMarcus Cousins right-hand-jam. The dunk instantly energized the Oracle Arena crowd, and the rest of the Dubs responded to the call. Stephen Curry, who went 0-for-8 to start, had 12 points on two treys in six minutes. Andre Iguodala joined the Splash Party and hit three 3-pointers late en route to a 17-point night. Golden State went on to win the game 115-101.
Shocked that Golden State is able to work their way out of these deficits? We certainly are not. Through feats of athleticism and tremendous teamwork, the Warriors have shown the ability to overcome the odds.