SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis had 28 points and eight assists, Gui Santos made a pair of free throws with 11.4 seconds remaining, and the Golden State Warriors held off the Washington Wizards 131-126 on Friday night.
Brandin Podziemski added 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to help the Warriors win a third straight game for the first time in nearly two months. Santos scored 27 points, Gary Payton II had 15 and Pat Spencer scored 13.
Rookie Will Riley had 22 points, five rebounds and five assists for the Wizards, who were trying to win back-to-back games after ending a franchise record-tying 16-game losing streak by beating the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.
Bilal Coulibaly added 21 points while Bub Carrington had 16 points and five assists.
Playing their 24th consecutive game without star Stephen Curry, the Warriors led the majority of the game until the Wizards made a late surge in the fourth quarter.
Washington led 111-106 with 6 1/2 minutes remaining, but the Wizards defense faltered after that.
Santos, who scored a career-high 31 points in the Warriors win over Brooklyn on Wednesday, made several big plays down the stretch.
After the Wizards got within 129-126 on Riley’s third 3-pointer of the night with 13.6 seconds left, Santos made two foul shots. Podziemski then stole the ensuing inbounds pass to secure the win.
The Warriors got a lift from Porzingis early. The 7-foot-2 center made a pair of 3-pointers and grabbed two rebounds as part of a big run midway through the first quarter to help Golden State to a 38-25 lead.
Wizards: At Portland on Sunday.
Warriors: At Denver on Sunday.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
