The first possession of the game said it all. Jonathan Kuminga drove through the left side of the lane, but an errant pass attempt resulted in a steal for the Nets and Brooklyn’s Royce O’Neale converted on the other end of the floor with a 3-pointer. It was only 25 seconds into the game, but the rout was on, and the Warriors ended their longest road trip of the season with a 143-113 loss in Brooklyn.
To the Warriors’ credit, they never gave up. After trailing by as many as 44 points early in the third quarter, the Dubs found their footing in the second half. And in the fourth quarter, the Warriors made their first six shot attempts, including a Moses Moody 3-pointer that brought the Dubs within 18 points. And although the Nets would prevent the Warriors from getting any closer, Golden State did outscore Brooklyn 62-52 in the second half.
Although the game was lopsided from early on in the action, the Dubs did have a few bright spots in this game. James Wiseman made his first eight shots of the game and finished with a game-high – and career-high – 30 points on 12-for-14 shooting, and rookie Patrick Baldwin Jr. also had a career-best 17-point effort.
Golden State Warriors Highlights vs. Brooklyn Nets
Team Leaders
GSW
| Points | Rebounds | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Wiseman - 30 | Looney - 7 | Jerome - 7 |
| Baldwin - 17 | Kuminga - 6 | D. Green - 6 |
| Moody - 17 | Wiseman - 6 | Kuminga/Lamb - 4 |
BKN
| Points | Rebounds | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Durant - 23 | Durant - 7 | Simmons - 8 |
| Sumner - 16 | Claxton - 7 | Curry - 6 |
| O'Neale - 14 | Warren - 5 | Durant/Claxton - 5 |
BROOKLYN HOT FROM THE START
The Nets would make their first eight shots of the game, with the first five of six of those being 3-pointers. Brooklyn would have 46 points in the first quarter, and they backed that up with a 45-point second period.
Normally shooting 50 percent from the floor in the first half is a good thing. But that wasn’t close to being enough for the Warriors, who trailed 91-51 at the break after the Nets put on an offensive clinic in each of the first two quarters. Brooklyn shot 71.4 percent from the floor and 68.4 percent (13-for-19) on 3-pointers in the first half. Kevin Durant led the way for Booklyn, torching the Dubs for 21 points on 8-for-9 shooting through the first half.
James Wiseman Tallies First Career 30-Point Game vs. Nets | Dec. 21, 2022
YOUNG DUBS STICK WITH IT
Durant led all scorers in the first half, but the second-leading scorer was James Wiseman. The 21-year-old center made all seven of his shot attempts in the first half, including a 3-pointer late in the second period. Although he made the 3-pointer, Wiseman did much of his damage in the paint, including several dunks. Wiseman continued to excel in the second half and didn’t miss a shot until near the midpoint of the fourth period. Wiseman finished the game 12-for-14 from the field with six rebounds, two assists.
Likewise, rookie Patrick Baldwin Jr. took advantage of extended playing time. He made his first six shots of the game, including five 3-pointers, to finish with 17 points in 23 minutes. Moses Moody, who started in place of Klay Thompson, was 7-for-11 form the floor for 17 points, and Ty Jerome added 14 points and a team-high seven assists in the loss.
Patrick Baldwin Jr. sinks it from downtown
TIME TO GO HOME
Not a lot went right for the Warriors during this 1-5 road trip, but the good news is they are coming home for the holidays. The Warriors will have three full days off before hosting the Grizzlies on Sunday in the NBA’s Christmas Day main event (5 p.m. on ABC). That holiday matchup will tip off an eight-game homestand for the Warriors, and it can’t start soon enough for a team that’s gone 12-2 at Chase Center this season.