The Golden State Warriors beat the Washington Wizards 125-112 to improve their record to 6-1 while the Wizards fell to 2-4. The teams made a major trade last season which saw Jordan Poole sent to the Wizards after a problematic summer of 2022 in which Draymond Green punched Poole during practice, prompting an awkward 22-23 season as teammates.
During the first clash between the Warriors and Wizards this season, Draymond taunted Poole by pointing at him after Stephen Curry converted a half-court buzzer-beater.
Draymond pointed to Jordan Poole after Steph hit the first half buzzer 😳😠pic.twitter.com/f8pquN5LIT
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 5, 2024
Poole would return the taunt to Green on his own three-point make shortly after.
Poole pointed at him back ðŸ˜pic.twitter.com/68JFGXAMbp https://t.co/6QZ2YTYedX
— á´… Ê€ á´‡ á´¡ (@FeelLikeDrew) November 5, 2024
The rivalry between Poole and Green is well-known because it caused the incredibly rare incidence of a veteran teammate punching a young player in practice. Poole and Green co-existed in the locker room for a season before the Warriors traded Poole to the Wizards for Chris Paul in the summer of 2023.
Poole led the Wizards in scoring with 24 points, putting in an incredible defensive performance with three steals and four blocks to go along with his scoring. Rookie Kyshown George became the first player from the 2024 Draft Class to score 20 points in this contest as well.
The Warriors won the game behind Stephen Curry dropping 24 points after returning from a three-game absence. Buddy Hield had another 20-point outing while Jonathan Kuminga put up 15 points. Draymond had his best performance of the season in this game, ending the night with 18 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.
Poole would be a great fit into the Warriors’ reshaped 2024 offense after the departure of Klay Thompson, with the team as a whole making a concentrated effort to shoot more threes. But he’s one of the tank commanders in Washington, getting his season off to a great start with averages of 22.5 points, 5.0 assists, and 2.8 steals.
Draymond hasn’t been a featured offensive player for the Warriors this season but is still creating the foundation of what is a top-five defense in the NBA right now. He’s averaging 8.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.4 blocks, hoping to win a fifth title with the Warriors to show their dynasty didn’t die because of Klay’s departure.
The Warriors will face off against the Boston Celtics next on Wednesday, while the Wizards will return to the court on Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
