What We Learned as JP Steph Wins Big Over the Sixers originally appeared nbc sports birea
SAN FRANCISCO – Welcome home, Warriors.
After winning back-to-back road games for the first time this season, the Warriors knew they would be in trouble when they welcomed the Philadelphia 76ers to the Chase Center. It was playoff vibes on Friday night, and Golden State held off the challenge with a 120–112 victory.
The difference was the fourth quarter. Golden State (39-36) faltered in the third, outscored by 11 points. This left the Warriors trailing by nine points entering the final frame. After the fourth started, they kicked into a different gear and outscored the Sixers 41–24.
Jordan Poole was unstoppable down the stretch, Klay Thompson made several big 3-pointers and all of Steph Curry's fourth-quarter points came when the game mattered most. The timing couldn't have been better. Seen winning basketball in front of Dub Nation.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors' third consecutive win.
battle of the stars
Friday night in San Francisco was a two-time NBA MVP performance on the one hand, and doing everything he could to win his first on the other. Curry and Joel Embiid are opposites in stature and style. Both are at the top of their game, and can make fans jump out of their seats.
Curry scored 29 points and was a game-high plus-20 in plus/minus. His final eight points came in the final three-plus minutes of the fourth quarter. He also added eight rebounds and was 8 of 11 on 2-pointers.
Embiid was sensational. He dominated even when the Warriors played good defense. The Big Man scored 46 points along with nine rebounds and eight assists. Embiid also took 23 free throws, one less than the Warriors overall.
The Warriors beat the 76ers by 21 points while Embiid was on the bench.
pool speed
The biggest star for the Warriors was Poole.
Poole's speed should be an asset to his advantage. However, at times, he can go full Tasmanian Devil and get lost or find his way across the floor. Lately, speed has often been his friend.
He's using it to score and dish. To end the Warriors' five-game road trip, Poole had to rack up in Dallas. He used it as a producer and helped take eight free throws against Philadelphia.
Since he has struggled with shooting from deep this season, however, Poole found his stroke in this game. He made no more than three 3-pointers in a game during the Warriors' road trip, and shot 30.8 percent from the arc during that stretch of games. Against the 76ers, he was 6-of-11 shooting from downtown.
Through three quarters, Poole scored 14 points on 10 shot attempts. In the fourth, he made 19 on nine shot attempts, giving him 33 points on the night. The 23-year-old is making the move at the right time.
big implications
Every win gets bigger and bigger as the regular season draws to a close. The Warriors' loss to the 76ers was huge.
Thanks to the Sacramento Kings defeating the Phoenix Suns, the Warriors (39) now have more wins than the Suns and are tied in the win column with the Los Angeles Clippers. Yes, the Western Conference is wild.
Reinforcements are also on the way. The Warriors are still hoping that Andrew Wiggins will make a comeback this season. They know Gary Payton II will.
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Payton was sitting on a bench with a sweater that read “FREE.” He will practice with the Warriors on Saturday and could be back on Sunday. The Warriors are in playoff mode, and the rest of the league knows it.