The Warriors got past Jazz on Monday night, squeezing out a 119-116 win before 4,155 fans at the Chase Center.
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Stephen Curry needed every bit from his supporting cast for the Golden State Warriors to secure a play-in berth, then found his shooting touch right when it mattered most.
Curry hit the dagger with 14 seconds left moments after missing from deep, and finished with 36 points. The Warriors just managed to get past the Western Conference-leaders Utah Jazz 119-116 on Monday night to keep hold of the eighth seed in the playoff race.
The Warriors team stepped up as a whole when it mattered, after hugely relying on Curry for the past few games.
Stephen Curry scored a team-high 36 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 14.5 seconds left and two clinching free throws with 5.4 seconds remaining.
Jordan Poole added 20 points and Kent Bazemore 19 to lead five Warriors in double figures.
The Warriors had won 11 of their last 16 games, and they’ve done most of it with their defence. Their 104.9 rating over that span is the best in the NBA.
The Jazz pulled their Curry game plan straight from the pages of a defensive coordinator’s playbook. Gang-tackle him at the 3-point stripe, with the attack led by Royce O’Neale.
Curry “struggled” early against the physicality, putting up a relatively quiet 15-point first half on 5 of 11 shooting managing only 1 of 5 from deep.
But there’s always the second half, and Curry found enough rhythm in the third quarter to score 14 points. He scored 21 in the second half.
Curry’s 36 points came on 11 of 25 shooting from the field, including 3 of 13 from distance and 11 of 12 from the line. He has scored at least 30 points in 20 of his last 22 games.
