The Philadelphia 76ers averted disaster with a 99-98 last-second victory over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday evening, defeating an extremely shorthanded Dubs team. The Warriors began the game without
Steph Curry or Jimmy Butler available, and Draymond Green left the game in the second quarter with a right foot injury and did not return. Despite lacking their stars, though, Golden State will be kicking themselves for the loss.
For the first three quarters, it looked like the Warriors were doomed for an embarrassing blowout. The Sixers jumped out to a 27-7 lead to start the game. Golden State went more than 10 minutes of regulation without scoring a bucket. The Warriors dearth of players who have the confidence to create a shot off the dribble was on full display as they passed the ball around the perimeter possession after possession, settling for mediocre quality threes.
Heading into the season, Golden State was banking on Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga stepping up in situations like this. Instead, both of their struggles continued and only exasperated the Warriors issues offensively. Podziemski continues looking like a player thinking before he acts on the court. Kuminga, on the other hand, was constantly willing to call his own number, but was simply ineffective. The duo were a combined 6-for-20 from the field with 6 turnovers.
Instead, it was the Warriors veterans at the back of the bench who led a comeback effort. For the second consecutive game, Dubs head coach Steve Kerr deploying Pat Spencer turned the game around.
Spencer was calm and composed point guard and remains unafraid to attack opposing defenses. He finished the game with 16 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and a game-best +19 plus/minus in 24 minutes of action. Buddy Hield and De’Anthony Melton both provided critical minutes off the bench as well. Hield struggled from three, but was excellent defensively and filled the box score with 14 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block.
Melton was fantastic in his first NBA game in more than a year. The combo guard was 5-for-10 from the field with 14 points and 3 assists in 21 minutes. He looked every bit like the impact role player that was so promising for the Warriors early last season.
The Dubs made a slight dent into the 76ers lead over the course of the third quarter, but still headed into the fourth quarter with a 16-point deficit. The game still seemed likely over.
And then Spencer, Melton, and Hield led a 15-0 run to cut the lead to 3 with 6 minutes left in regulation. Pat Spencer and Quinten Post pick-and-rolls became the Warriors’ offensive bread and butter. Post found a cutting Gui Santos for a layup to put the Warriors ahead 93-92 with 2:36 left in regulation. After another defensive stop, Santos made a tough reverse layup as the shot clock wound down to put Golden State ahead by three.
Tyrese Maxey answered on the other end with a bucket to cut the Warriors lead to one, but Spencer’s confidence was unshakeable. He knocked down a three on the other end, extending the Dubs lead to four. All of a sudden, the Warriors were in control.
Philly cut the Warriors lead to 98-97, in the final minute. Kerr wanted to give Melton the opportunities to close the game, but came up empty twice, traveling and then missing a shot with 14.2 seconds left in regulation. However, Santos’ hustle fighting for the rebound gave the Warriors another possession.
The problem for Golden State became in-bounding the ball against the Sixers athletic and lengthy defense. They did so successfully two times, but the third in-bound pass resulted in a Vijay Edgecombe steal and a Sixers timeout. They had 8.2 seconds remaining and one of the best scorers in the league.
Maxey drove, took a tough fadeaway that fell short of the basket. But since it missed the rim, Edgecombe was there to catch the ball and lay in the go-ahead game-winner with 0.9 seconds left on the clock. Al Horford and Melton made an excellent last-second effort without a timeout to get a layup at the other end, but Maxey hustled back for a shot-erasing block (although Melton may argue he was fouled on the contest) as the buzzer sounded.
The loss will hurt a Warriors team that would’ve desperately loved to steal a victory. Instead, they will have to settle for a moral win, and move forward with questions about how Kerr will alter the rotation given the struggles of the team’s most prominent young players. Most importantly, Spencer, who is on a two-way contract, seems to be playing himself into a bigger role. The team will have one day off before they face the Cavaliers on Saturday.
