The Golden State Warriors pulled off a much-needed 112-102 win over the San Antonio Spurs without Stephen Curry available. Chris Paul had one of his best games of the season while leading the Warriors in Curry’s absence, prompting head coach Steve Kerr to hail the Hall of Fame-level talent.
“He controlled the game, got us organized down the stretch when they were threatening, hit a bunch of big shots, distributed the ball, rebounded, he did everything. There’s a reason he’s going to the Hall of Fame, he’s one of the greatest point guards ever and he’s still got a lot left.”
"There's a reason he's going to the Hall of Fame."
Kerr on CP's big night 🙌 pic.twitter.com/uWUHZNwXHa
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 12, 2024
Paul has missed a large chunk of the season due to injury but is averaging 9.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 7.1 assists in 40 games played.
He’s been solid in a backup guard role, helping the Warriors slow the pace of games when required while running him complementary stars on the roster. This includes the likes of Trayce Jackson-Davis, who had 13 points and 10 rebounds tonight, and Klay Thompson, who now comes off the bench with Paul when the team is fully healthy.
The Warriors need Paul to give them higher production right now, especially with Curry being absent. A near 20-point triple-double shouldn’t be what we expect, but his elite playmaking prowess should help the team maximize its supporting pieces through this stretch.
Stephen Curry Not Returning For The Warriors’ Next Game
The Warriors haven’t been a competent team this season without Stephen Curry. The team is over-reliant on the 35-year-old point guard who is expected to carry the team to the playoffs. The win over the Spurs tonight was their first win of the season without Steph, with the team losing the first four games without Steph this season.
The Warriors have a very important game next in their quest for a top-six seed, as they face the Dallas Mavericks who are on a three-game win streak. Steve Kerr confirmed that Curry will not be available for this game.
“We needed that. We will re-assess tomorrow but I don’t expect him to play in Dallas, so we got another tough game coming up. We needed this one. We’re in a fight right now down the stretch of the season, so good to get a win and build some confidence without Steph.”
"I don't expect him to play in Dallas."
Kerr gives an update on Steph's ankle injury 🔽 pic.twitter.com/IE1qWBaOgC
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 12, 2024
The Warriors had already lost a game without Steph to the Spurs last week and faced some tough losses with Curry in the lineup like the Bulls’ loss where Steph got hurt. They were swapping the No. 9 seed with the Lakers consistently for a week but have now fallen a game behind their rivals. They’re currently 3.5 games behind the No. 6 seed Suns.
After their game against Dallas, the Warriors have arguably their most important fixture of the late-season against the Lakers. If Curry isn’t playing this game, the Warriors could find themselves rooted to the No. 10 spot after giving the Lakers the season-series win over them and falling further back in the standings.
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