Curry and bench lead Warriors over Cavs
It took Stephen Curry a little while to warm up, but he finished with more than 30 points for the ninth straight game and the Warriors earned their first four-game win streak of the season.
Although Curry didn’t make his first 3-pointer until more than 10 minutes into the third quarter, the Warriors’ bench — led by Juan Toscano-Anderson’s careerhigh 20 points — helped keep them in the game until Curry was able to heat up and close out the Cleveland Cavaliers in Thursday’s 119-101 win Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
On the second night of a backto-back following Wednesday night’s win in Oklahoma City, the Warriors got out to a slow start and an early 11-point hole. However, the reserves provided a boost with a 19-5 run to open the second quarter and handed the starters an 11-point lead by the time Curry checked back in midway through the period.
In all, Golden State’s bench outscored Cleveland’s 45-23 as Toscano-Anderson went 8-for-9 and added seven rebounds and three assists, Jordan Poole had 14 points and four assists and Damion Lee finished with 11 points and five rebounds. Andrew Wiggins, who helps anchor the second unit that starts the second and fourth quarters, finished with 23 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Curry didn’t drop in his first 3pointer until there was 1:34 remaining in the third quarter and followed that with another 3pointer on the next possession. He scored 12 of his 33 points in the third and the Warriors took a 10point lead into the fourth. The Warriors (28-28) have now won five of their last six going into Saturday’s game in Boston.
While Curry’s scoring surge continues to impress, the story of the game was Toscano-Anderson. It wasn’t long ago that the 27-yearold forward was out of the rotation, but since James Wiseman’s injury, he’s seen more playing time and on Thursday had a career game.
In the fourth quarter, ToscanoAnderson tricked the Cavaliers defense with a fake handoff, slipped to the rim, pulled the ball behind his head and dunked with both hands before he confidently thumped his chest. It’s the sort of savvy play that has made Toscano-Anderson somewhat of a revelation this season, and helped support Curry on a night the twotime MVP needed it.
Warriors rookie Wiseman out for season with meniscus tear
Warriors center James Wiseman has been officially ruled out
for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his right knee on Thursday, the team announced.
Wiseman, 20, will begin his rehab immediately and is expected to return for the 2021-22 season. The Warriors will provide another update in September — a five-month timetable that indicates Wiseman could miss out on a full workload in the offseason.
According to Dr. Nirav Pandya of UCSF, Wiseman likely had his meniscus sewn together during surgery, which would result in a longer recovery time.
He added that generally, patients of this procedure are “off the leg” for about six weeks until they can begin walking on their own. After three or four months, they can begin running and stability returns at about six months.
If true, this would be a major setback for Wiseman, who had appeared to be turning a corner during an up-and-down rookie season before suffering the injury in Saturday’s win in Houston. In his final three games, Wiseman totaled 37 points on 62.1% shooting and 17 rebounds in 54 minutes while showing improved timing as a screen-setter, lob finisher and rim protector.
In the short term, Kevon Looney will continue to start at center and the Warriors will use a heavy dose of smaller lineups featuring Draymond Green and Juan ToscanoAnderson in the frontcourt. Over the next few days, the front office will consider adding another big man with one of their open roster spots, although they will only sign another center if they believe he can help them make the playoffs.
“Adding size just for the sake of adding size doesn’t accomplish anything,” Kerr said before Thursday night’s game in Cleveland. “But if you can add a good player who can help you win a game, then it matters.”
But there are greater, long-term repercussions at play. Rookies often make a developmental leap between their first and second seasons, and the Warriors had hoped Wiseman could recover from surgery in time for a full offseason that would help him develop into the difference-maker the Warriors need him to be next year.
However, if Wiseman cannot return to the court during this upcoming fivemonth period, he would not be able to play in August’s Las Vegas Summer League or train with the Team USA Select Team over the summer. His plans to work out with Kevin Garnett will need to be rescheduled.