19-point deficit turns into blowout
WARRIORS 116, 76ERS 96 Wednesday
The Philadelphia 76ers don’t have their three best players, so it was only a matter of time until the Warriors would make a run good enough to win — if they could keep their composure.
That’s exactly what happened when the Warriors scorched Philadelphia by 11 points in the third quarter to dig out of a 19-point hole and continue their dominant streak for a 116-96 victory Wednesday night at Chase Center.
“It was a beautiful second half,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said.
Stephen Curry had 25 points and 10 assists, Otto Porter Jr. and Juan ToscanoAnderson combined for 25 points, and Andrew Wiggins was plus-25 in 34 minutes.
Philadelphia was led by Seth Curry, who had 24 points despite going 0-for-5 from 3-point range.
The 76ers (10-9) had lost six of their past eight games and didn’t have any of their stars.
The Warriors gave up a season-worst 34 points in the first quarter, allowing Philadelphia to shoot 61.9%. Seth Curry scored 10 points before anyone on the Warriors’ roster had more than five and the 76ers led 34-23. Seth Curry extended Philadelphia’s lead to 19 with about five minutes left in the second quarter.
Jordan Poole’s half-court prayer at the halftime buzzer banked in and trimmed the Warriors’ deficit to 61-52. Stephen Curry tied it with a 3-pointer about three minutes into the third quarter, and Draymond Green’s steal led to an assist to Andrew Wiggins that put the Warriors up 66-63 with 8:45 to play in the period.
Shake Milton knocked down a shot from two steps inside the half-court stripe to make it a two-point game for the final 12 minutes. The Warriors’ defense hardened and closed shop from there.