Without James Harden by his side, Joel Embiid immediately sets the tone. Aggressive, the pivot will seek seven free throws and mark 13 of the 27 points of his team, while the Warriors water from afar but remain in ambush by finding openings near the circle (27-23).
In the wake of Stephen Curry, Golden State produced its effort at the start of the second quarter. Five points from the double MVP, followed by a good passage from the pair JaMychal Green – Jordan Poole allows the Warriors to pass an 18-7 to their opponent to take control of the match (45-37). Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey wake up the Sixers, but at the break it is the Dubs who take the lead (55-53).
The two teams went blow for blow in the third quarter time and it was finally Philadelphia who made the break. Embiid and Maxey go 14-1 in the last three minutes of the period to take an eleven-point lead (90-79).
Close to breaking, the Warriors still manage to turn things around. Seven straight points from Jordan Poole end a 12-3 that puts pressure on Sixers (93-91). Embiid then responds by scoring 13 points in a row, but the Splash Brothers invite themselves to the Poole Party, soon followed by Draymond Green and the entire defense (106-104).
Poole put the Warriors in front, before Stephen Curry took over. Golden State finished the game 16-6 for a third straight win.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– 54-14 for the Warriors bench. It was JaMychal Green who set the tone to wake up the Warriors in the second quarter, before Jordan Poole came to kill the game in the last quarter. In their wake, the Warriors bench dominated the Sixers’ substitutes, limited to just 14 points. It was in those minutes without Joel Embiid on the field (-13) that Philadelphia twice allowed the Warriors to make the difference.
– Unstoppable but insufficient Joel Embiid. The candidate for the MVP trophy gave the impression of being a giant against the Warriors in lack of size. The Sixers pivot announced the color from the first minutes, scoring 13 points and fetching 7 free throws. He will add 27 points in the second at 8/12 on shooting and 11/12 on free throws. He will finish the game with 46 points despite all the efforts and tactical plans of the Warriors.
– Jordan Poole turns the tide. At -11 and while the Warriors were in trouble, it was all the audacity and energy of Jordan Poole that kept them in the game. Whether attacking the circle or 3-pointers, Golden State’s sixth man caught fire with 19 of his team’s 41 points in the final quarter. Without this firework, the Sixers were heading straight for victory.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Jordan Poole. The fullback scored 19 of his 33 points in the final quarter at almost 60% completion to give his side a ninth straight win at home.
✅ Stephen CurryKlay Thompson. The Splash Brothers scored 50 points between them, including 15 in the last quarter to back up Jordan Poole on their team’s comeback.
✅ Joel Embiid. Unplayable, Embiid showed why he’s the new MVP favorite. Aggressive throughout the match, he finished with 46 points at 13/23 on shots, and 19/22 on free throws! He also came close to the triple-double with 9 rebounds and 8 assists.
⛔ P.J. Tucker. The former Heat resident missed his five 3-point attempts and didn’t weigh as much defensively as usual.
THE FOLLOWING
Golden State (39-36) : reception of the Timberwolves on Sunday
Philadelphia (49-24) : trip to Phoenix on Saturday.
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