The Golden State Warriors returned home to Oracle Arena to host the Utah Jazz. They were on a 4-game losing streak and were aiming to get a win against the best team in the NBA. If that were to happen, it would have to be a “prove it” game for Steve Kerr and company. In the end, they did what they set out to do and more.
The Warriors came out ready to go as they had the lead for the first 5 minutes of the quarter. That was until Royce O’ Neale put the Jazz on top by 2 at the 6:59 mark. However, that would not phase the birthday boy Steph Curry. He hit a three-pointer to give his team the lead back, and it was all Warriors from then on. They went on a 15-0 run, to which Curry was responsible for 9 points. In total, he had 14 first-quarter points. The birthday boy was the life of the party. The first quarter ended with a score of 33-22.
Nonetheless, the Warriors did not come out the second quarter with that same fire. In the early minutes, they let the Jazz come within 2. Still, they would not get closer than that. At most, the Jazz was able to inch back to cut their deficit to 5. Eventually, the Warriors found their footing. Their bench contributed 28 points during the second. The team took a 13 point lead as the quarter waned down. Draymond Green ran down the court for a dunk to put a nice ending to the first half. It was a 67-54 game at the break.
The Warriors made it their business to go into the third quarter, adding to their lead. However, they couldn’t get away from the Jazz that quick. The lead would alter between 8 and 10. At three different times during the quarter, the Warriors found themselves regaining the same double-digit lead, but the Jazz kept surging. They cut the Warriors’ lead back to single digits to end the quarter. The score going into the fourth was 95-86.
In the fourth quarter, the Warriors started to take their foot off the gas. At the halfway point, the Jazz was only down 3. It would be just the Jazz luck that a personal foul let the game slip away. Bojan Bagdonovic sent Warriors Jordan Poole to the free-throw line. He knocked in all 3, which expanded his team’s lead to 6. There was no hope after that. The Warriors stunned the Jazz 131-119.
There was not much of a difference in shooting, but the Warriors proved to be the dominant team overall. The Jazz were 57% from the field in the fourth, while the Warriors were 60%. They showed up and let it be known they were a force to be reckoned with.
This victory came with the help of Curry who turned 33 today and dropped 32 points.
“It’s like that aging wine, you keep it in the cellar and watch it get stronger and better.” He said. “I’m just enjoying the ride.”
Some other shining stars included Andrew Wiggins, who had 28 points. Green also earned his 26th career triple-double with 11 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists.
Up Next:
The Warriors will look to keep the momentum going as they host the Lakers on Monday, March 15th at 10:30pm.
The Jazz will look to redeem themselves as they face the Celtics on Tuesday, March 16th at 7:30pm.
