What we learned when Warriors’ comeback fell short in loss to Thunder originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
BOX SCORE
SAN FRANCISCO – Jonathan Kuminga looked rejuvenated when he was back in the Warriors’ starting lineup with 19 points, and Pat Spencer gave Golden State a stunner off the bench – but it wasn’t enough as the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated Golden State with 105-101 in a showdown between the Western Conference’s top two teams Wednesday at Chase Center.
It was the first time in four games without Stephen Curry this season that the Warriors lost. The two-time NBA MVP is resting his sore knees, though coach Steve Kerr said he expects Curry to be ready for Golden State’s upcoming road trip that starts Saturday against the Phoenix Suns.
The Warriors certainly need their star back after losing their third straight game and falling to 12-6.
Buddy Hield scored 17 to move another step up the NBA three-point list. Andrew Wiggins had 16 points and five rebounds, and Draymond Green added 10 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.
Spencer came off the bench to help run the point and had six points, four rebounds and three assists.
Oklahoma City led by 19 points but had to hold off a late surge by Golden State in the fourth quarter as the two teams traded the lead repeatedly.
The Warriors took a 96-93 lead with 5:45 to go but couldn’t keep the momentum going. Golden State fell behind four points late and cut the lead to 102-101 on a Wiggins 3-pointer with 11 seconds left.
These are the conclusions from Wednesday’s match:
Filling in for Steph
Brandin Podziemski had the first chance to fill in for Curry, but it was Pat Spencer, a two-way player, who seemed to make the most impact during the run.
Spencer, who had only appeared in three games and logged just over four minutes of playing time, immediately provided a spark with drives to the hoop and kickout passes to open shooters. Spencer had a nice all-round effort in 15 minutes and was even given a technical foul for arguing with the officials after a non-call.
Podziemski played his typical game and made a great move to lead the charge in the first half
Kuminga returns with a vengeance
Making his first start since Oct. 27, Kuminga got off to a slow start and missed all four shots he attempted in the first quarter before warming up and taking off in the second quarter.
Kuminga made a pair of three-pointers before halftime, but energized the Chase Center crowd with his trademark powerful and emphatic drives down the court. He also did some real damage to the Thunder when he dove over OKC forward Jalen Williams, sending Williams to the ground. Williams did not finish the second half.
Before the match, Kerr said he preferred to keep Kuminga on the bench to give the second unit a reliable goalscorer, but given the way he played on Wednesday, the coach might have to reconsider that.
We continue
Hield has done an excellent job of filling the void left when Klay Thompson left for Dallas via NBA free agency, and the 31-year-old’s jumper was in top form against the Thunder.
Hield made a trio of 3-pointers in the first half and had the only 18 possessionse place on the NBA career list. Hield, tied with Dirk Nowitzki, finished with five threes and needs one more to tie Jason Kidd (1,988) for 17e place.
Hield hit 148 or more threes in each of his first eight NBA seasons and is on pace to surpass that milestone again.
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