Warriors instant analysis: Porzingis’ return not enough to stop SGA’s march toward historic scoring mark
OKLAHOMA CITY — When the Warriors played against the Thunder at Paycom Center on Saturday, they went against a star in pursuit of history.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had scored 20 or more points in 124 consecutive games, just two off tying the NBA standard set by former Warrior Wilt Chamberlain in 1963.
If one takes a quick flip through the NBA record book, they have a high probability of encountering Chamberlain’s name, regardless of which page they land upon. So anytime a player is in position to usurp one of the former Warrior’s records from the league’s early days, it is worthy of note.
Gilgeous-Alexander put up 27, ending the night just one game away from matching Chamberlain.
But the undermanned Warriors made the similarly shorthanded Thunder work for it in Golden State’s 104-97 loss to the defending champs. After missing the previous six games with illness, Kristaps Porzingis scored nine in just 22 minutes. Brandin Podziemski put up 17 points and Gui Santos scored 22.
Neither team was at full strength.
Steph Curry (runner’s knee) and Moses Moody (right wrist) were both ruled out, and Will Richard was questionable with an ankle injury and ended up not playing.
The Thunder were down All-Stars Chet Holmgren (flu) and Jalen Williams (hamstring), as well as rotation players Alex Caruso (hip) and Isaiah Hartenstein (calf).
With world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay sitting courtside, the Warriors trailed 34-28 at the end of the first quarter, and then 67-54 at halftime. The Thunder hardly cooked them through 24 minutes, but the defending champs seemed to always have an answer for any Warrior basket.
That shifted for a moment in the third quarter, when the Warriors cut the deficit to 75-70 after Porzingis passed out of a double team for a Podziemski 3-pointer, and then tied it at 77 all when he made another nice pass to Malevy Leons for a triple. The Thunder’s dearth of size meant the Warriors were able to score 42 in the paint.
The Warriors were able to cut the advantage to 94-90 midway through the fourth on a Santos dunk, but four straight Thunder points forced coach Steve Kerr to call timeout. Instead of folding down eight, the Warriors continued to fight.
Gui Santos roared to the crowd after finishing a layup through contact to make the deficit just 99-97 with two minutes left.
But Gilgeous-Alexander showed why he is an MVP frontrunner with 42 seconds remaining, burying a cold-blooded 3-pointer off the dribble to push the Thunder lead to 102-97 and essentially ice the game.
The Warriors (32-31) will finish their three-game road trip at Utah on Monday.
Draymond’s tough assignments
Draymond Green has a resume few stoppers in NBA history can boast, with nine All-Defense selections and a Defensive Player of the Year honor to his name.
Even at 36, he is still among the best in the league at locking down his matchup.
And when it comes to matchups, few players have faced a three-game gauntlet quite like what Green has experienced this week. On Monday, he faced Kawhi Leonard.
Thursday saw him take on former teammate Kevin Durant in Houston. Then Green finished his week against reigning MVP Gilgeous-Alexander. Gilgeous-Alexander got his, but shot just 6 of 15.
Santos, Podziemski strong
Santos has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the season, going from playing minimal minutes to a consistent starter with a new 3-year contract. The Brazilian reached another milestone, scoring 20 for the first time in his career and beginning his path to matching Wilt.
Podziemski was one of the heroes of Thursday’s overtime victory in Houston, pouring in seven points during the extra period. He carried over that strong form into Saturday’s game.
But as has been a theme this season, Podziemski made an impact with more than just his scoring. Facing one of the league’s most athletic guard rooms, he grabbed six rebounds and dished out six assists.