Catch the Golden State Warriors facing off against the Washington Wizards
The Golden State Warriors secured a 129-118 victory against the Washington Wizards on Friday, bringing their season record to 14-14. This marked Jordan Poole’s return to the Chase Center after being part of a trade in the offseason. Despite Poole’s impressive 25-point performance, his team couldn’t secure the win against his former team, the Washington Wizards.
The Warriors faced a challenging start, allowing the Wizards to take an early 8-point lead. However, rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis, coming off the bench, made a significant impact, turning the game around. By the end of the first quarter, the Dubs had secured a 26-24 lead, their first of the game, and they maintained their lead throughout. Jackson-Davis had an impressive performance, achieving a double-double with 10 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block in 24 minutes of play.
It’s evident why the Wizards could end up with one of the NBA’s five worst records this season. They struggled to defend against shots, especially from the outside, leaving Golden State with lots of open opportunities. As expected, the Splash Brothers capitalized on this defensive weakness.
Steph Curry had a fantastic game, scoring 30 points in under 27 minutes and making 8 out of 13 three-pointers. Klay Thompson also performed well, contributing 20 points with 4 three-pointers. The rookie, Brandin Podziemski, made several three-point shots and recorded 10 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and a steal in 29 minutes.
Podziemski and Jackson-Davis weren’t the only young talents shining. Jonathan Kuminga made a big impact, seizing more opportunities in the lineup with Draymond Green suspended. Kuminga had an outstanding game, making 9 of 11 field-goal attempts and scoring 22 points in 27 minutes.
Chris Paul played a vital role coming off the bench, despite scoring only 4 points on 2-for-7 shooting. He had a game-high +27, underlining his significant impact, and contributed with 7 rebounds and 10 assists. Dario Šarić added 13 points to the team’s total.
The Warriors aim to surpass .500 in their upcoming game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Chase Center tomorrow night, with the tip-off scheduled for 5:30 PM Pacific.
GAME STARTERS:
GSW (Golden State Warriors): Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Brandin Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga, and Kevon Looney
WAS (Washington Wizards): Tyus Jones, Jordan Poole, Deni Avdija, Kyle Kuzma, and Daniel Gafford
MATCHUP AT A GLANCE
GSW WAS
13-14 5-22
11th in West 14th in East
PTS: 115.9 (12th) PTS: 117.0 (10th)
REB: 47.3 (1st) REB: 39.3 (30th)
AST: 27.7 (t-6th) AST: 27.7 (t-6th)
Jordan Poole is returning to Chase Center for the first time since his offseason trade as the Warriors face the Washington Wizards on Friday. Last season, Poole led the Warriors in total points (1,675) and averaged 15.8 points per game over four seasons. He played a significant role in the Warriors’ 2022 championship, averaging 17.0 points per game with a 60.6% effective field goal percentage in the playoffs.
Klay Thompson recognizes Poole’s crucial contributions to the championship and hopes Dub Nation gives him the right welcome on Friday night. Thompson mentioned, “We would not have won a championship in ’22 without him. Simple as that. So I hope Dub Nation shows him the right ovation on Friday night.”
The Washington Wizards haven’t had much success on the road, winning only 3 out of 17 games. Overall, they have 5 wins and 22 losses, losing eight of their last 10 games. Despite this, they won their recent game against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Wizards have two former NBA champions in Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole. Kuzma, a champion with the Lakers in 2020, is their leading scorer, averaging 23.6 points per game this season.
Warriors fans might remember Jordan Poole from the 2022 championship team. This season, he’s averaging 17.2 points per game, but he’s had some standout performances recently, scoring at least 28 points in two of the last four games.
Keep an eye on the rebounding battle in the game. The Warriors are the best rebounding team in the league, grabbing an average of 47.3 rebounds per game, while the Wizards are last in rebounds per game with 39.3.