SAN FRANCISCO – Stephen Curry scored 15 of his game-high 37 points in the third quarter, and the Warriors bounced back nicely from a pair of heartbreaking one-point losses to beat the Philadelphia 76ers and MVP front-runner Joel Embiid 119-107 at Chase Center on Tuesday.
Playing without Klay Thompson, who was a late scratch due to an illness, the Warriors (20-24) avoided many of the problems that have dragged them down for most of the season and overcame whatever mistakes they did make.
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Despite committing 18 turnovers and getting minimal production from its bench, Golden State still was very efficient while shooting 55.7 percent for the game.
Curry led the way, going 12 of 17 from the floor and 8 of 13 on 3-pointers. It’s the six consecutive game in which the two-time scoring champ has poured in 25 points or more, and it’s his 18th 30-point game of the season.
Jonathan Kuminga continued to prove his worth, scoring 26 points with seven rebounds. Andrew Wiggins also looked good, recording 23 points on 8 of 10 shooting.
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Brandin Podziemski scored 11 points while Draymond Green added nine points, six rebounds and six assists.
The Warriors have won 10 of their last 12 games against the 76ers (29-17) at Chase Center.
Embiid had 14 points and seven rebounds in 30 minutes.
The 76ers played without one of their top play-makers as Tyrese Maxey continues to nurse a sore ankle. Embiid was questionable before the game but played before he was hurt late in the fourth quarter and went to the bench for good.
Wiggins got the Warriors going early, making all five of his shots in the first quarter. Green took over in the second quarter with nine of his points, helping Golden State bounce back after falling behind to lead 52-50 at the half.
Here are the takeaways from Tuesday’s game:
Podz has a Podz day
After being selected to play in the NBA’s Rising Stars game during All-Star Weekend, Podziemski continued to prove why he’s deserving of the honor while moving back into the starting lineup after Thompson was a late scratch because of an illness.
Podz spent spending much of his night matched against trash-talking connoisseur Pat Beverley but handled it pretty well, although he was called for a defensive three-second violation and got crushed by a screen from Joel Embiid in the first half.
Podz learned from that and drew an offensive foul from Embiid in the third quarter. It’s the 20th time the rookie has drawn a charge this season, tied for second-most in the NBA.
Green leads effort vs. Embiid
Green spoke earlier this week about the difficulties trying to defend Embiid. Then, the Warriors’ top defender went out and showed exactly how to do it, even though he was obviously at a size disadvantage and was called for two quick fouls in the first quarter.
Green, along with Kevon Looney, prevented Embiid from doing much damage on the inside. The 76ers’ big man took 11 shots in the first half, and only one of them came at the rim. Embiid spent most of the time on offense circling around the perimeter, and the Warriors were more than happy to accommodate him on the outside, where his size wasn’t a factor.
Green, who started at center and moved to the 4 spot when Trayce Jackson-Davis came in, was also up to his old tricks on offense. He played very well as a distributor and kept the offense moving, finishing as a plus-18.
The return of TJD
Rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis’ playing time has decreased since Green returned from an NBA suspension and was a healthy DNP against the Sacramento Kings last week.
Jackson-Davis didn’t have a huge game against the 76ers, but he still made a nice impact while he was in. He only played 12 minutes and had six points and four rebounds. He also spent some time defending Embiid, which allowed Green to slide over to the 4 spot.
It probably won’t do much to earn him more playing time, but Jackson-Davis is a key part of the Warriors puzzle and will have to play more down the stretch.
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