Warriors hold off NBA-leading Jazz to snap 4-game skid
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Draymond Green had his 26th career triple-double with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists and the Golden State Warriors held off the NBA-leading Utah Jazz 131-119 on Sunday to end a season-worst four-game losing streak.
Green also had four steals in his second triple-double of the season. Stephen Curry had 32 points with six 3-pointers to go with nine assists.
“Now it matters what we do coming out of it,” Green said. “This could be a turning point.”
Andrew Wiggins added 28 points as Golden State returned home for a rare Sunday matinee at Chase Center, where the Warriors had played just one time over the previous 24 days.
Rudy Gobert had 24 points and a career-high 28 rebounds for Utah (28-10), which became the league's last team to reach double-digit losses.
“I think he’s keeping his focus and there’s times when Rudy can let what’s happening on one end of the floor impact the other," coach Quin Snyder said. "He’s just been much more consistent that that. When he does that he’s obviously very impactful.”
Donovan Mitchell added 24 points, Mike Conley 23 and Jordan Clarkson 21.
Utah had won the last five against Golden State and two in a row on the Warriors' home floor.
The Warriors won for the first time since Feb. 26 against Charlotte, a stretch that included an embarrassing road 130-104 loss to the Clippers on Thursday night as the team returned from the All-Star break.
“A big part of competing is learning how to bounce back from losing,” coach Steve Kerr said.
Curry shot 6 for 9 from deep after he went 1 of 8 on against the Clippers on the heels of winning the 3-point contest at the All-Star Game.
Kerr wanted to see energy from his group to keep Utah from getting comfortable.
“We wanted to be the aggressor the entire night. I think when you do that you have a better chance of establishing a front, kind of a wall, a mentality, who you’re going to be,” Kerr said. “That’s how you win games, how you dig out of a four-game losing streak, with your defense.”
CURRY 1 OFF TEAM ASSISTS MARK
Curry is right on the cusp of the franchise record for assists.
He has 4,854 assists, one from tying franchise assists leader Guy Rodgers with 4,855. They are the only two Warriors to reach 4,000 assists.
WISEMAN'S ROLE
Warriors rookie James Wiseman scored 16 points on 8-for-11 shooting while playing 23 minutes three days after being benched for the initial three quarters in Los Angeles for missing a mandatory COVID-19 test last weekend.
"That is just routine for any player in the league to learn how to be a professional," Kerr said. “That was just a necessary step in his maturity and his development and not that big a deal.”
Kerr liked how Wiseman started fresh Sunday.
“I thought James was great," Kerr said. “What a test with Gobert, one of the best centers in the league.”
TIP-INS
Jazz: Aside from Gobert's big day on the boards, the Jazz managed only 23 other rebounds but held a 51-40 advantage on Golden State. Gobert had twice previously grabbed 25 rebounds. ... Utah last lost at Golden State on Feb. 2, 2019, 115-101.
Warriors: Green has been outspoken about the number of COVID tests at three a day, including one before the Sunday afternoon tipoff after losing an hour of sleep for daylight saving time. “It's overwhelming for sure,” Kent Bazemore said. “The league is just trying to protect its investments. ... Just continue to smile, man, no matter how many tests you take.” ... Curry celebrated his 33rd birthday and rookie Nico Mannion turned 20.
UP NEXT
Jazz: Utah continues a stretch with nine of 10 games on the road when it visits Boston on Tuesday night.
Warriors: Host the Lakers on Monday night to complete the tough back-to-back having dropped the past two at home to L.A.
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