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Kendra AndrewsESPN
CLEVELAND — Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was irate with Jordan Poole after Poole received known as for a delay of sport — the staff’s second — with seven seconds to go within the third quarter of their eventual 120-114 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday evening.
“Jordan!” Kerr yelled. “Come on, lock in … lock the f— in, we’re making an attempt to win this sport.”
Simply 24 hours faraway from a gut-wrenching loss in Boston, the Warriors wanted this win. Cleveland was closing in, and Golden State, after as soon as main by as a lot as 20, wanted to do what they did not do towards the Celtics: shut the door.
“It was a studying expertise yesterday,” Poole stated. “It was one thing that we have been very conscious of. It form of was a really comparable state of affairs, being up with six minutes left after which it turned a detailed sport. We knew we wanted to lock down, get some stops and make a very good run. We wanted to shut it out and we did. Now we’ve to construct on it.”
The Warriors have been with out 4 of their 5 starters, with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins sidelined with varied damage administration.
Sure, the Cavs have been with out Donovan Mitchell — out with a left groin pressure — however Cleveland nonetheless has the second-best defensive ranking within the league (109.7). Towards a Warriors staff that has been streaky on each ends of the ball — particularly with out Curry — it was a frightening process.
However the Warriors put collectively certainly one of their most spectacular performances of the season.
Poole, who has changed Kevon Looney within the common beginning lineup in the interim, opened the sport with three consecutive 3-pointers. He ended the sport with 32 factors on 10-of-23 taking pictures, together with 5-of-12 from three.
He surpassed 500 profession 3-pointers made, changing into the third quickest participant to hit that benchmark in Warriors historical past, trailing simply Curry and Thompson. At 23 years previous, he is the youngest participant to hit 500 3’s. Poole is the third participant in franchise historical past to document 20 profession 30-point video games at age 23 or youthful, becoming a member of Rick Barry and Wilt Chamberlain.
“He is persevering with to develop and he is persevering with to get higher,” Kerr stated. “Within the final two video games he was incredible … To play that approach tonight with out Steph and Klay and Wiggs and Dray, to provide us that scoring and that pressure, he made so many performs on the market. He set the tone … He is getting higher and higher. There’s nonetheless to date to go, which is thrilling.”
As a staff, the Warriors hit 23 3-pointers towards the Cavs, essentially the most they’ve ever had in a sport with out Curry.
“You play 82 video games, you are solely going to have a number of of those (3-point taking pictures nights). We knew we have been going to should have one to win,” Kerr stated.
“All people on our staff is assured,” Poole stated. “And shout out to educate Kerr for permitting us to play with that confidence. We all know what we’re able to. We have been spacing the ground and getting attractiveness. We received laser targeted.”
The largest 3-pointer of the evening got here from two-way guard Ty Jerome. With 1:39 left within the fourth and the Warriors up simply 4, Jerome swung the ball to Looney, who instantly appeared again at Jerome and returned the ball. Jerome took one dribble, shuffled to his proper and launched the shot over Darius Garland with 4 seconds left within the shot clock.
In Jerome’s eyes, essentially the most eye-catching stat from the evening was how evenly distributed the Warriors’ scoring was. With out their core, Golden State had six gamers end with double-digit scoring.
Jerome scored 22, whereas Donte DiVincenzo added 17, JaMychal Green had 13, Anthony Lamb scored 12 and Jonathan Kuminga had 10.
This was Inexperienced’s first sport again since Dec. 20 after recovering from Covid and a subsequent leg an infection. It was additionally Kuminga’s first sport again from a proper sprained foot that saved him out since Jan. 2.
The Warriors’ win in Cleveland was the finale on their five-game highway journey that noticed them go 3-2. Contemplating Golden State is 6-18 on the highway this season, they see this east coast journey as an indication of progress.
Now, returning residence with a a lot more healthy roster than after they left, they hope that is after they can start to construct themselves as much as have a robust stretch heading into the All-Star break, and a very good second half to the season total.
“We have to win video games on the highway and we did it this journey,” Poole stated. “Now we get to go residence … and attempt to play off the momentum we had tonight.”