In a crucial game in which the Warriors were out-sized, without Jonathan Kuminga, and Draymond Green was ejected than four minutes in, the visitors came into Orlando to get a tough win.
The win ensured that regardless of what the red-hot Houston Rockets do in Oklahoma City, the Warriors stay in 10th, and in the play-in picture. here are three takeaways from the enthralling 101-93 win.
Draymond's ejection
Less than four minutes into the game, Draymond Green got himself tossed. He bumped official Ray Acosta for his first, then lingered in argument for his second. So much for all that growth and not talking to officials.
Remember when Green returned from suspension and Steve Kerr urged him not to argue with officials?
“His teammates need that so we can focus on all the details that are eluding us right now," Kerr said at the time.
Anyone who has watched Green knows that has not improved. He is arguing with officials as much as ever, and it's never brief. His interactions with them are visible and extended.
It's not so much that Green can't be productive while arguing with officials. He has very much proven that he can.
But the inability to pull back in obvious situations, and leave his team shorthanded in games as crucial as these... it reignites those questions of whether Green is long for the modern NBA, and at least whether the Warriors are going to be willing to deal with his non-basketball antics going forward.
You could see it in Stephen Curry's face. He tried to pull Green away from officials just before he got ejected. After the timeout, he had his face buried in his jersey, wiping his eyes like a father who hadn't had a wink of sleep the night before. Green's behavior is tiresome. In a game this substantial, without Jonathan Kuminga, it was inexcusable.
Nice work from the young guys
Without Kuminga (left knee soreness), and very quickly without Green, the Warriors needed help from their young players. They got it.
Moses Moody had outstanding effort. He seems to always provide that, plus the sort of athleticism and size the Warriors are often desperate for. He broke Joe Ingles' ankles in the third quarter, and had a crucial put-back dunk inside the final six minutes of the fourth. He had 12 points (4-of-9, 0-of-4 from 3-pt), 5 rebounds and 3 assists in his 24 minutes.
Brandin Podziemski also got going, and seemed to finally hit those running hook shots he'd struggled to make so often throughout this season. He is far savvier than a 21-year-old has any business being. He had 6 points (3-of-10, 0-of-2 from 3-pt), 9 rebounds, an assist and a steal off the bench.
And Trayce Jackson-Davis, of course. He, too, provided, offering 8 points (4-of-8, one failed half-court heave), 14 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and a block.
Andrew Wiggins the hero, plus vintage Klay and Steph (very) late
Andrew Wiggins entered the fourth quarter with 10 points, having a game you would rightfully describe as "good." Then he snapped.
He opened the fourth by hitting a couple of big 3-pointers. The Warriors, a woeful 10-of-34 (29.4 percent) from deep, were in dire need of it. Cole Anthony was wreaking havoc, and Stephen Curry was unable to stop him, or just about anyone else defensively.
It was like something clicked for Wiggins moment. He had an "oh sh**, it's gotta be me." And it was him.
This wasn't just one of those moments where you notice, "oh, Wiggins has taken a couple shots." This was a legitimate tour de force. He was going at the Magic and dominating.
You could pick out any number of clips from the fourth, but his and-one drive on Cole Anthony was pure physicality paired with the sort of aggression he so often fails to show. He finished with a team-high 23 points (8-of-17, 3-of-6 from 3-pt), 6 rebounds, an assist, 2 blocks and 3 turnovers. 13 of those points came in the final frame.
Anthony gave the Warriors hell. He closed the deficit to 94-93 in the fourth quarter, the closest the Magic had been since 2-0 in the first quarter, and had 26 off the bench to lead all scorers.
Curry, meanwhile, had zero fourth-quarter points until the final two minutes. He was harangued, doubled by Magic players at nearly every opportunity. But he stretched the Warriors' lead to five points with 1:09 remaining, finishing under pressure at the rim, for a major bucket.
On the other end, the Magic looked panicked, giving the ball to Anthony in a one-on-one with Klay Thompson. Thompson put the clamps on, and Anthony threw up an air ball. Thompson talked his shit after that one. He had 15 points (6-of-13, 3-of-8 from 3-pt) and some key threes.
To end this game, Curry (17 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists) hit a vintage dagger. Stepback three. And then he kicked a chair. No really, he kicked a chair.
Wiggins got the exclamation to end it, swatting away a shot just before the final buzzer. The reactions from Curry and Steve Kerr for Wiggins told you all you needed to know about his night.
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