SAN FRANCISCO — For a second game in a row, the Warriors found a secure enough lead to pull the regulars in the fourth quarter. Coach Steve Kerr emptied the bench up 19 with four minutes remaining in the Warriors 126-106 over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night. Golden State has won five in a row and moved above .500 at 15-14.
Klay Thompson’s scorching third quarter helped nullify Portland’s 11-point lead in the first quarter, fueled by the Warriors’ seven first-quarter turnovers. Thompson scored 11 straight points in a 13-point quarter, including a trio of 3-pointers, to flip that 11-point lead to a 12-point advantage by the start of the fourth quarter. He finished with a team-high 28-points shooting 11-for-16 from the field and 6-of-10 from 3.
The Warriors outscored the Trail Blazers 34-16 in the third quarter, flipping the script on a tendency to squander big leads after halftime. The team’s 38 assists paints the picture for a complete effort from the starters and bench alike pushing the pace and getting plenty of scorers involved.
Brandin Podziemski was a team-best plus-25 in his 32 minutes with a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double. Chris Paul had his third straight game with double-digit assists, recording 11 in 27 minutes. The pair danced to find Curry, cold from 3, for 27 points on 11-of-18 from the field along with Jonathan Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis around the rim.
Kevon Looney broke out of a slump and wrangled 11 rebounds, finishing plus-15.
The Warriors next head to Denver to play the Nuggets on Christmas afternoon before returning home for an extended home stand. They’ll take on the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks to finish off 2023.
