Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (22) looks to pass the ball while being defended by Golden State Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo during the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sat Mar 11, 2023 (AP News photo)
By Jerry Feitelberg
It was quite a night for the Golden State Warriors (35-33) they returned home to the friendly confines of the Chase Center. The Warriors lost the last three games on their recent road trip to the Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, And Memphis Grizzlies.
In addition, Jonathan Kuminga sprained his ankle and was not in the lineup on Saturday. The Warriors still needed the services of Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins has been gone for almost a month with family matters. Steve Kerr said that as much as he would like to have Wiggins back, it needs to be clarified if he returns before the season ends.
Kerr had to find a way to beat the Milwaukee Bucks (48-19). The Bucks entered the game with the best record in the Eastern Conference. However, the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo was out due to a wrist injury. One team wanted to snap a three-game losing streak.
The other team wanted to extend their nine-game win streak on the road. The question was not answered in regulation as the Warriors, trailed by eight with two minutes left to play, went on an 8-0 run to tie the game at 111-111. In the five-minute overtime period, the Warriors outscored the Bucks 14-5 to win the game 125-116.
Both teams had little offense in the first half. The Bucks shot 34% from the floor, while the Warriors were slighty better at 35%. The Warriors finished the first half with a slight lead, 50-49. JaMychal Green, coming off the bench, led the Warriors with 13. Donte DiVincenzo was second with 12. Klay Thompson had four, and Stephen Curry had seven.
In the NBA, teams get their offense going in the second half. The Warriors won the third quarter 30-28 to finish the third period with a three-point lead, 80-77. The Bucks knew they had a chance to get the win. In the fourth quarter, Milwaukee looked like they would pin a loss on the Warriors.
With about two minutes left to play, the Bucks led by eight. Milwaukee was killing the Warriors from behind the three-point arc. Joe Ingles, Jrue Holiday, and Jevon Carter were making threes. The Warriors’ Curry got hot in the fourth quarter, and he kept the Warriors close.
However, the clock was not in the Warriors favor as they trailed by eight. Clay, Thompson, and DiVincenzo led the Warriors rally as they rallied to tie the game, 111-111. The Warriors defense stopped Jrue Holiday as he was going in to make the winning bucket. The Warriors got the ball back with 1.9 seconds. Curry inbounded the ball to Green. Green’s three-point shot was not good. The game went to overtime.
In the overtime period, the Bucks scored first, and the Warriors came back to tie the game. Curry led the offense, and the Warriors defense stepped up to hold the Bucks to three points in the five-minute overtime period. The Warriors won 125-116.
Game Notes- The Warriors improved to 35-33. The Bucks are now 48-19.
Curry was the offensive star for Golden State. Curry was everywhere on the court in the fourth quarter and the overtime period. Curry made one three-point shot in the first half. He made five in the second half. Thompson did not make a three in the first half.
Thompson knocked down four in the second half. The Warriors had five players in double figures. Curry led the team with 36. Thompson had 22, and DiVincenzo had 20. DiVincenzo made six threes. DiVincenzo also had a double-double as he pulled down ten boards. JaMychal Green had 18, and Jordan Poole added 13. Draymond Green tallied five points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists. Kevon Looney had seven points and 15 rebounds.
The Bucks had six players in double-figures. Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez led the Bucks with 19 points each. Jrue Holiday added 18. Included in his 18 were four threes. Joe Inglis, who loves to kill the Warriors by making threes, continued his onslaught as he connected five times from three-point range. Bobby Portis helped the Bucks with 15.
The Warriors host the Phoenix Suns at the Chase Center Monday night. The Suns will be without Kevin Durant. Durant sprained an ankle and will be out for a month. The game will start at 7 pm.
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