Led by sheer brilliance from Steph Curry, the Golden State Warriors had their most impressive win of the year on Wednesday, knocking off the San Antonio Spurs 125-120 on the road.
And then, on Friday night, Curry and the Warriors one-upped themselves. It was a road baseball series, and it’s hard to imagine a more difficult opponent for that than the Spurs. The Dubs caught San Antonio off guard on Wednesday with a brilliant second half, and Draymond Green’s defensive performance against Victor Wembanyama
left many people’s jaws on the floor — mine included.
But Warriors fans have watched Curry for nearly two decades, and they know the reality that accompanies a superduperstar: they’re never more dangerous than when they’ve taken your best punch, had time to watch the film, and then get to see if you can do it again. Beating Wemby and the Spurs once was going to be difficult, but beating them a second time would prove much harder. But that’s exactly what they did, and just four days after a crisis-inducing loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Warriors once again look completely legit. Back-to-back road wins against a previously 8-2 team will do that to you.
It was a much better start for the Warriors in the rematch, after they built a brick house in the first quarter on Wednesday, and trailed 28-14. This time they were hanging tight with the Spurs, as the game took on a fantastic pace. Rookie Will Richard, recently added to the starting lineup, was phenomenal on both ends of the court, and the Dubs used a 6-0 run to take an early 11-7 lead and force San Antonio to call a timeout.
Golden State couldn’t get any separation though, as their shots again went cold. It was encouraging, though: they were missing good looks, while the Spurs were missing hard shots. After San Antonio tied the game, Curry caught the fire that he ended Wednesday’s game with, and scored seven straight points. But then he went to the bench and the Warriors couldn’t make another shot … literally. Following Curry’s run, the Spurs ended the quarter on a 9-0 run to lead 20-18 after the first frame.
I really only wrote one note for the second quarter: “this is a fun game.” Buddy, I had no idea what I was in for!
The Dubs started the frame strong on both ends of the court, and with about eight minutes remaining, the beneficial swap occurred: Wembanyama headed to the bench, while Curry returned to the game. But the Spurs, led by an excellent showing from their starting backcourt of De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, were matching Curry and the Warriors offense. Neither team could create any separation, and the Warriors held a tiny 47-45 lead at the break.
The fun of the second quarter was replaced by the highlight reel that was the third quarter. SportsCenter could make an entire top 10 segment just on the second half of this game, and it still would omit worthy plays. Wembanyama, who had been excellent on Wednesday but hadn’t quite flashed his this-guy-might-one-day-be-the-greatest-to-ever-do-it abilities went into full-on highlight mode. The outrageous dunks and unthinkable blocked shots that have come to define his young career — it’s hard to believe he’s still just 21 — were on full display, as he started to dominate the game and leave his mark. He fueled an early 8-0 run for the Spurs, who took a six-point lead, but Curry seemed to take it as a challenge. Two days after scoring 22 points in the third quarter alone, Curry again went into supersonic mode, scoring the team’s final 14 points of the third quarter to finish with 17 in the frame. But behind the brilliance of Wembanyama, Fox, and a strong bench showing, the Spurs still managed to lead 79-77 entering the fourth.
At that point, it had already been a successful baseball series for the Warriors. Against a team this good, on the road, with one game being a back-to-back, you have to be happy with a win and a competitive loss. What more can you ask for?
Two wins, apparently. Curry, Jimmy Butler III, Draymond Green, and the rest of the crew aren’t in the business of settling for moral victories. So when the Spurs quickly jumped out to a seven-point fourth quarter lead and I started to think about how it had been a good effort, the Warriors started to dig deep and chomp down on their mouth guards. Which brought us to a moment that turned the game from high-quality fun to Oscar-worthy drama.
Green got into it with Wembanyama, as the two started to do some extra-curricular jostling and Green got to trash-talking, as he so often (and so impressively) does. While things were heating up between the two, the Spurs inbounded the ball under their own basket, and Wembanyama showed off his nobody-else-can-do-that talents, spinning off of an off-ball double team, jumping through two Warriors (Green included), and stuffing a lob with his off-hand.
The arena nearly exploded, and we quickly learned that Wemby can dish out some trash talk with the best of them. A scrum befitting the title of a baseball series unfolded, with both teams huddled around each other, barking and clapping and mildly shoving as the refs tried to restore order.
From there it was game on. You knew that neither team would sleep tonight with a loss. You knew that Curry and Butler and Green had to win the game, just as you knew that Wembanyama, Fox, and Castle felt the same. It didn’t even matter that, while tensions were running high, officials ruled that the foul occurred before the dunk, and the basket wouldn’t count. The tone was set.
Neither team backed down, especially their seminal stars, as Curry and Wembanyama exchanged blows. Curry entered another stratosphere, scoring 10 straight Warriors points as they tried to stay within fighting distance, but Wemby cketp having an answer. Finally, with just over five minutes remaining, Wembanyama sunk a three that brought an eight-point lead to the Spurs, and a frenzy to the crowd.
And then the Warriors went about winning the game.
On the next possession, with the score 100-92 San Antonio, the Warriors moved the ball around the court, desperate to find a shot. They couldn’t get one, and with the shot clock about to expire, were forced into a shot the Spurs had to be giddy with: a heavily-contested three from Gary Payton II.
He made it, and the Dubs pulled within five.
On the ensuing Spurs possession, Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody smothered Fox as he drove to the lane, combining to block the shot, rebound the ball, and set the offense in motion. The result? A Podziemski three, and the deficit cut to two.
They got another stop, and another Payton shot from deep, this time far more open and far more desirable.
He made it again, and suddenly the Warriors had the lead, with just over 3:30 remaining.
But San Antonio had a run in them and scored four straight points. With a three-point lead in hand, the Spurs earned a stop and got a great transition opportunity, when one of the plays of the game occurred. Devin Vassell, with sights set on turning it into a five-point game, drove hard in transition to the rim, but Podziemski slid under him just in time to draw a charge. The Spurs challenged the call, and it felt like the game might be hanging in the balance.
The call was upheld, and on the other end Green made a sensational pass to Curry for a layup, as the Warriors pulled within a single point with just over two minutes remaining.
It was a whirlwind of a game, and there was no slowing down. Butler stole the ball on one end, but a few seconds later, Fox swiped it back from Moody. Seconds later, San Antonio missed a shot, but Castle flew in from nowhere to tip the ball in to extend the Spurs lead to three. Curry, hunting for a tie, missed a three on the other end, but a fight for the rebound ensued, and when Julian Champagnie finally grabbed it for the Spurs, he was standing out of bounds. Podziemski made a brilliant pass to a cutting Green on the inbounds, and the layup pulled the Warriors within a point. Again. This time with just under 1:30 remaining.
Wembanyama was not going away without a fight though, and had a fairly outrageous tip-in on the next possession. But again the Warriors answered with a great pass and an easy layup, this time Green finding Butler as the Warriors one more time pulled to within a point, this time with under a minute remaining.
The game had been a flurry of highlights, and there was no other way for it to end. After the Warriors got a stop, Curry and Butler found themselves in transition with a chance to both take the lead and execute a two-for-one. Curry broke out the style points with a behind-the-back pass to Butler, whose clean-looking layup was swatted by the extendo arms of Wembanyama.
But having gone early for a two-for-one paid dividends, as the Warriors got the ball back following a Fox missed jumper. Curry attacked and brilliantly put on the brakes at the elbow, baiting a shooting foul with 6.4 seconds remaining.
He calmly sank the first to tie the game, and then egged on the rumbling crowd, smiling as they loudly tried to get him to miss.
But he didn’t oblige, and the Warriors took a one-point lead into the final seconds.
From there, the Warriors accomplished their first goal: keep the ball out of Wembanyama’s hands. He didn’t touch the ball on the final possession, with San Antonio instead relying on Fox.
And while Fox had been brilliant all game, Payton forced him into a tough, off-balance, step-back mid-range jump shot, which he missed by a bit.
Warriors 109, Spurs 108.
