NBA: Warriors use 3-point barrage to ground Rockets
Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Golden State Warriors shoots over Tari Eason #17 of the Houston Rockets at Chase Center on December 03, 2022 in San Francisco, California. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images/AFP
Andrew Wiggins buried a career-high-tying eight 3-pointers, Stephen Curry and Jordan Poole combined for 13 more and the Golden State Warriors wore down the visiting Houston Rockets from long range in a 120-101 victory in San Francisco on Saturday night.
The matchup of two teams playing the second night of a back-to-back turned into a battle of the Warriors’ perimeter prowess against the Rockets’ relentless interior presence, which Golden State won by making 25 3-pointers.
Article continues after this advertisementComing off a stunning win at Phoenix the night before, the Rockets didn’t go down easily even after falling behind 23-6 to start the game. Wiggins, Curry, Poole and Draymond Green hit 3-pointers in the game-opening flurry to set the stage for things to come.
“It was a phenomenal first 18 minutes,” coach Steve Kerr said. “I thought that was maybe the best stretch we’ve had all year to start the game.
“We were defending, rebounding, doing everything right, and then we just lost our focus.
Article continues after this advertisement“That’s our biggest challenge right now, trying to maintain our focus long enough not to give up leads and allow teams back in,” Kerr added.
Andrew Wiggins tonight in the Warriors win:
🎯 36 PTS
🎯 5 REB
🎯 8 3PM pic.twitter.com/SnGkPy4HK0— NBA (@NBA) December 4, 2022
The Warriors went on to lead by as many as 25, but two Josh Christopher free throws at the 6:59 mark of the fourth period got Houston within 100-96.
However, Golden State had one more push in it, with Curry drilling three more 3-pointers and Moses Moody sinking one in a 16-2 burst that put the game away.
Wiggins finished 8-for-10 from deep, Curry 8-for-17 and Poole 5-for-8, accounting for 21 of the Warriors’ long-distance successes on a night where they made 25 of 52. Moody chipped in with a 3-for-3 effort en route to 11 points.
Wiggins led Golden State with a season-best 36 points, while Curry totaled 30 and Poole 21. Poole got the start in place of Klay Thompson, who was resting on the second night of a back-to-back, following Golden State’s 119-111 home win over the Chicago Bulls on Friday.
Curry also found time for a game-high 10 assists, while Kevon Looney had a game-high 12 rebounds to go with nine points.
With Wiggins going 14-for-19 overall, the Warriors outshot the Rockets 52.9 percent to 44.0 percent.
Kevin Porter Jr. paced the Rockets with 20 points, but missed eight of his nine 3-point attempts. The visitors went just 3-for-28 from distance and were outscored 75-9 from beyond the arc.
Tari Eason had a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double for Houston, while Jalen Green and K.J. Martin chipped in with 13 points apiece and Alperen Sengun supplied 12.
Usman Garuba tied Eason for team-high rebound honors with 10 as the Rockets outrebounded the Warriors 45-35 and outscored them 72-34 in the paint.
