PHILADELPHIA — Stephen Curry's only shot of the first half Wednesday night was ruled out after review. Officials determined he kicked his leg out on a three. The call was changed to an offensive foul on Curry, giving him four turnovers and only two points through two quarters.
that Something like Curry's stat line on the road will almost always mean trouble for an 11th-ranked Golden State Warriors team that still revolves around him. But that was just an irrelevant footnote in a game that was a big win, fueled by the depth around him.
Despite Curry's ineffectiveness, the Warriors led by three points at halftime and outscored the Philadelphia 76ers, 127-104, during which Curry only scored nine points on seven shots. He then rested the entire fourth quarter, giving them the rest they needed before a quick comeback. The road trip concludes with a back-to-back run in Indianapolis on Thursday.
But before that game, there's NBA business. The trade deadline ends Thursday at 3pm ET. The front office is back in San Francisco and considering various trade possibilities. The timing adds an extra layer of intrigue to the entire performance in Philadelphia, considering who played so well.
Andrew Wiggins returned from a foot injury and scored 21 points in 23 minutes. He made 9 of 14 shots, had 10 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block. He looks bouncy and confident and continues to work well as a wing pair next to Jonathan Kuminga, and his recent development makes retaining Wiggins more favorable for the front office. .
If he was blocking Kuminga's playing time or not being able to share the court with Kuminga, he would have even more incentive to pave the way for Kuminga's arrival. But after suffering a disastrous first few months of minus-106 points together, Wiggins and Kuminga have combined to coincide with Draymond Green's return, accumulating plus-74 points in 164 minutes over the past nine games. It is recorded.
Although he is the highest-profile name the Warriors appear to be actively discussing, Wiggins' hope is to remain in Golden State.
“I love it here,” Wiggins said. “I love the fans, I love the coaches, I love the organization, I love my teammates.”
Klay Thompson had his worst game of the season in Atlanta on Saturday, the Warriors' only loss on the road. He made 4 of 19 shots, but missed several key shots late in the fourth quarter and in overtime. Those woes snowballed in Brooklyn and became national headlines when manager Steve Kerr chose to close out the game with Guy Santos instead of Thompson in the final minutes.
Thompson responded Wednesday night, making 4 of 5 threes en route to an efficient 18 points in 28 minutes. His final make was a transition push, a pump fake, and a pull-up wing three, a vintage Thompson. Kerr said he seemed “relaxed” and Thompson reiterated after the game that he wasn't concerned about his name coming up in trade rumors and praised his patience. did.
“I don't participate in NBA discussions on the internet,” Thompson said. “I think it's such a waste of energy. At the end of the day, whether I'm wearing a Dubs uniform or a different uniform, I'm going to be myself. I'm going to be KT.”
I doubt the Warriors have any intention of trading Thompson before the deadline. He expressed his desire to be with them beyond Thursday and into the future.
“That's right,” Thompson said. “That's a good review.”
Kevon Looney, the third veteran in a defunct starting lineup, has struggled for parts of this season and the Warriors are currently outside of the playoffs. Looney, like Thompson and Wiggins, had a great performance against the 76ers. Coach Kerr kept Looney out of the game until the beginning of the second quarter, but said Looney changed his team's focus and energy.
Rooney had a weakside block, some difficult finishes and even powered past Mo Bamba for an and-1. He was plus-11 in the first half, recording nine points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals in 17 minutes without Curry or Green on the court for much of that time.
“I know there's a lot of noise around trades, but I haven't heard much conversation about it in the locker room,” Looney said. “I don't think we're nervous. I don't think it bothers us. In fact, I think we're starting to play better.”
Looney is making $7.5 million this season, with only $3 million remaining of the $8 million guaranteed next season, but the deal is useful as a medium-sized trade vehicle, and this is primarily due to are available on the market. Looney has Looney, Trayce Jackson-Davis, showing some promise behind him on the depth chart.
“Everyone will be checking their phones until the deadline is over,” Rooney said. “You never know. We know business. We know we don't have the best record.”
Before the game, Kerr maintained his recent position that he doesn't think the Warriors will make a trade and doesn't think the Warriors need to make a move to make a noise in the playoffs.
“I feel like this group can do something special,” Kerr said. “It's true. So if we don't do anything tomorrow, I feel like we've got a good group to work with.”
After the win, Kerr was even more optimistic about his 23-25 team, which moved closer to qualifying for the play-in tournament but was still 5 1/2 games out of the No. 6 seed.
“Our defense has gotten better the last few weeks,” Kerr said. “I don't know what our evaluation is, but it's certainly dramatically better than before. I like the starting lineup. I like the combination of JK and Wigs. All of us have just overcome the obstacles that we individually faced. … I feel really great about the path we're on.”
The Warriors are 5-3 in their last eight games. Three of the losses were close, two by one point to the Kings and Lakers, and one in overtime to the Hawks. Their defensive rating during this period was 112.3, ranking them 7th. Green's return has a lot to do with that. So there's a surprising level of increased belief given the situation they're still sitting in.
“I saw Stephen Curry,” Thompson said. “I saw Draymond. If I go home and look at our playoff record as a trio, I believe we can have what we have, champions. I always believe. It's a long season. I always believe that if we suit up together, we can run.”
(Photo of Stephen Curry, who missed the fourth quarter against the 76ers and talks with injured teammate Chris Paul: Bill Streicher/USA Today)
