What we learned as Steph, Warriors outlast Pistons in fiery bout

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors’ first contest back home after a five-game road trip was a bizarre scene in multiple ways, resulting in a 115-110 win against the Detroit Pistons.

In the Warriors’ previous game, they immediately were down 8-0 to the Brooklyn Nets. Then Saturday night at Chase Center against the Pistons, the Warriors in an instant held a 9-0 lead – only for the Pistons to then go on an 8-0 run, prompting a timeout from coach Steve Kerr.

What happened ahead of the second quarter had the building in a brief panic. Basketball became secondary for a moment. A fire alarm flashed across the jumbotron, urging fans to exit the arena. About a minute or two later, it was deemed a false alarm. 

One minute later: All cleared, game will resume shortly https://t.co/GAh8VKUoDD

— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) March 9, 2025

But the fire alarm threw plenty of things out of whack, including the music and the public address system. For around 15 minutes of real time in the second quarter, the only sounds were basketball at its purest. 

The game was mucked up and brought to a halt all night from the referees and their whistle. Between the two teams, a total of 56 fouls were called, resulting in 77 free-throw attempts. On a night where the Warriors made seven more 3-pointers than the Pistons but continued to struggle there overall, it was a Draymond Green three that surprisingly sealed the deal with 35 seconds to go.

DRAYMOND FOR THE LEAD 🎒

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— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 9, 2025

Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler again were the one-two punch the Warriors needed. Curry dropped 32 points, and Butler had 26, his most since joining the Warriors. He also was one rebound shy of a double-double and added five assists.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ win to begin their seven-game homestand.

25K For 30

The list of accomplishments Curry has enjoyed on a basketball court is an infinite scroll. Another milestone was reached Saturday in the third quarter. 

Curling off a screen from Green, Curry cashed in from long distance for his 17th point of the night, allowing him to eclipse more than 25,000 points in his illustrious 16-year NBA career. 

Steph’s historic triple to eclipse 25,000 points 👏

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— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 9, 2025

Steph joins the 25,000-point club 🙌 pic.twitter.com/gS4JRkLdLn

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 9, 2025

Road fans watched Curry dominate the past five games, averaging more than 34 points in the Warriors’ successful 4-1 trip. It took a bit for Curry to get his legs under him and find his shot back in front of Dub Nation. Curry scored seven points in the first quarter and four in the second, giving him 11 in the first half. Another eight points in the third quarter put Curry at 19 points going into the fourth quarter, only to score 13 in the final nine minutes when it mattered most.

Curry came into the night 15 points away from reaching the honor, as well as 11 threes from making 4,000 for his career in the regular season. He now is at 25,017 career points, and 3,993 career 3-pointers.

Golden Gui 

Their two scoring stars, Curry and Butler, combined to score 58 points, but the Warriors wouldn’t have even been in the game without one of the best stories of the season. Gui Santos doesn’t just provide energy -- he impacts the game in a handful of ways.

Some of the best highlights of the night came from the former second-round draft pick out of Brazil. What led to Curry’s historic three? A monster block from Santos on 6-foot-10 center Jalen Duren. 

There were a handful of huge plays that swung momentum. Santos’ soaring 3-point play with seven minutes in the fourth quarter certainly was near the top of the list, firing up the crowd in return.

Gui was FIRED up 😤

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— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 9, 2025

Santos in 25 minutes off the bench was a plus-14, scoring 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 4 of 6 on free throws. Santos also had six rebounds, one assist and that big-time blocked shot.

What do you call a Santos triple?

A Gui-pointer 😏
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— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 9, 2025

Need a bucket? We know a Gui 😅

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— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 9, 2025

Jonathan Kuminga will be returning soon, possibly even Monday night. Even when he’s back, Santos’ role can’t be thrown out the window.

Dennis The Menace Returns

For the first time, the Warriors faced a player they traded away earlier this season. Dennis Schröder’s two months with the Warriors surely didn’t go as planned, for both parties. The fiery veteran surely wanted to make his mark against his former team, too. 

Schröder first entered the game with three and a half minutes left in the first quarter. As soon as he crossed half court two minutes later, Moses Moody picked up his old teammate, pressured him and forced Schröder to dribble the ball off his foot. Moody then dove on the hardwood and beat Schröder to the ball for a steal. 

In the second quarter, Schröder got him back. Moody missed a floater while Schröder hounded him, which quickly turned into two points for the Pistons on the other side. Kerr called a timeout, and as Moody walked back to the Warriors’ bench, Schröder began chirping and clapping right in his face. 

Brash, fast and in your face. The Warriors know how Schröder plays. The last time he was an opponent at Chase Center, Schröder scored 31 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, in a Brooklyn Nets win. Schröder on Saturday with the Pistons against the Warriors had 11 points, four assists and two steals off the bench.

Former Warrior Lindy Waters III, who also was sent to the Pistons as part of the Warriors’ multi-team trade to acquire Butler from the Miami Heat, didn’t see any action.

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