Warriors Defeat 76ers
Harrison Barnes knocked down a tie-breaking 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds left and the Warriors beat the 76ers, 108-105, on Saturday in a laugher-turned-thriller in Philadelphia.
The game-winner saved an otherwise embarrassing game for the Warriors. After leading by as many as 24 points and taking a 19-point into the fourth quarter, the Dubs let the team with the worst record in the NBA back into the game. Philadelphia took advantage of sloppy Warriors play and went on a 15-2 run over a 3:04 stretch to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. That run concluded with the Dubs’ seventh turnover of the fourth quarter leading directly to a Philadelphia layup that tied the game with 22.3 seconds left.
The Dubs called timeout to set up their final play of the game. With 22 seconds on the clock, the possession started with Shaun Livingston bringing up the ball. He handed it off to Stephen Curry near midcourt, and the reigning MVP kept the ball in his hands until a double-team forced the ball out of his hands. Curry found Draymond Green in the middle of the lane, who immediately found Barnes wide open in the corner in front of the 76ers bench. Barnes caught the pass, set his feet and put up the shot and swish.
The clutch shot gave the Warriors their sixth straight win, and during each game during this current streak the Dubs have dished out at least 30 assists. Getting there on Saturday, however, can be mostly attributed to the team’s first half effort.
With an odd 2 p.m. (Pacific) tipoff time, the Warriors were off their game at the start. They made just three of their first nine shots and found themselves trailing by seven points midway through the first quarter, but then the switch went off. The Dubs went on a 15-0 run that was capped with eight straight points by Klay Thompson, including a pair of 3-pointers assisted by Curry.
By the end of the first quarter, the Dubs held a six-point lead, and they built on that by making 13 of their first 15 shots in the second quarter. The team matched a franchise record of 26 first-half assists, and the rout appeared to be on.
Thompson led the way with 32 points, Curry added 23 and Green (10 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists) came within an assist of a triple-double. Andrew Bogut pulled down 16 boards and Barnes had 11 points, none bigger than his last three.
The Warriors won’t have much time to think about this win, as they continue their three-game road trip on Sunday when they visit the New York Knicks.
Read more at: Golden State Warriors Media Services / More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
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