CLEVELAND — Friday’s matchup against the Cavaliers had all the makings to be a throwaway game for the Warriors.
Golden State had a quick turnaround from a disappointing overtime loss the night before in Boston and sat four of its five starters, including Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. The diminished roster had the Warriors entering as 11.5-point underdogs.
But the undermanned Warriors defeated the odds — and the Cavaliers — pulling out a 120-114 win to bring Golden State back to .500 on the season.
Golden State pulled ahead by as many as 20 points in the third quarter but as the fourth quarter wound down, the visitors found their once comfortable double-digit lead shrink to a two-possession game down the stretch.
Cleveland went on an 8-0 run in the fourth to trim the Warriors’ lead to four with about two minutes remaining. But Ty Jerome knocked down a 3 on the Warriors’ next possession to put Golden State up seven again.
The Cavaliers didn’t back down. But a carefully crafted Warrios post-timeout play, where Jerome inbounded the ball to Kevon Looney for a dunk, made it 119-112. Golden State managed to hold on from there, avoiding a fourth-quarter collapse like the one they suffered the night before in Boston.
Six Warriors players finished in double-figure scoring and knocked down two or more 3s. Jordan Poole led the way with 32 points while shooting 10 of 23 from the field and 5 of 12 from 3. Jerome added a season-high 22 points and eight assists, and Donte DiVincenzo ended the night with 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals en route to the Warriors’ sixth road win of the season.
With Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins all sidelined for the second night of a back-to-back, the returns of Jonathan Kuminga, who missed eight games with a sprained foot, and JaMychal Green, who was out even longer after catching COVID and suffering a leg infection, helped the Warriors’ cause. Kuminga had 10 points and five assists.
Meanwhile, Green contributed 13 points and eight rebounds off the bench.
The Warriors shot 48.8%% from the floor and knocked down nine more 3s than the Cavaliers, who shot 50% from the field.
The Warriors are 23-23 this season and closed out this road trip going 3-2. They’ll return home to play the Brooklyn Nets at Chase Center on Sunday.
