On a night when Golden State once again trotted out a patchwork lineup, the Warriors found just enough composure, and just enough shot-making, to claw their way back to .500. Pat Spencer, pressed into his first NBA start because of the team’s growing list of absences, played like someone who’d been waiting years for this chance.
He poured in a career-best 19 points and calmly drilled three triples, helping steady a team that opened the game shooting as if the rim were the size of a soda bottle. What began as a frustrating, brick-filled slog slowly turned into one of Golden State’s grittier wins of the season, a 99-94 grind-out that saw them lean on role players, timely defense, and just enough late execution to fend off Cleveland’s push.
The Cavaliers hung around behind another explosive night from Donovan Mitchell, who caught fire in the fourth quarter, but they couldn’t shoot their way out of a miserable offensive evening. Golden State, meanwhile, kept finding contributions from unlikely sources, Gui Santos, Buddy Hield, Quinten Post, players who weren’t expected to carry the scoring load this time last month.
With Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, and Al Horford all unavailable, the Warriors somehow stayed afloat, winning for the third time in four games and reminding the league that they aren’t interested in drifting quietly through this stretch of injuries.
Pat Spencer’s Moment Arrives And He Doesn’t Blink
Spencer didn’t just start; he completely altered the rhythm of the game. His 19 points came on an efficient 7-of-12 shooting night, and his 3-for-4 mark from deep added a dimension Golden State desperately needed after the team opened the first quarter shooting 4-for-23. He also chipped in seven assists, making him the team’s most reliable playmaker on a night when ball movement mattered more than flash. His poise stood out, especially in the fourth, when the Warriors’ offense tightened up, and every possession took on extra weight.
But perhaps most telling were the free throws; his two clinching foul shots with 4.1 seconds left. Golden State has struggled late in close games this season, often watching their execution fade, but Spencer’s calm at the line sealed the outcome after Mitchell’s potential game-tying three rimmed out. In a locker room missing its emotional core, Spencer provided the steadiness of a veteran and the edge of someone playing like he belonged. This three-game stretch of at least 15 points per night is now looking less like a fluke and more like a breakthrough.
The Warriors Needed A Collective Effort And Got One
Golden State didn’t win this because of one guy; they won it because almost everybody who touched the floor gave them something. Gui Santos had 14 points and hit two big threes in the second half; Buddy Hield added 13 on 4-of-9 shooting and spaced the floor just enough to pull Cleveland’s big wings away from the paint.
Off the bench, Trayce Jackson-Davis gave them eight points and five boards with a +15 in only 16 minutes, while Moses Moody chipped in nine points and knocked down a timely three. Even Will Richard, though quiet offensively, played with enough defensive activity to hold his own in extended minutes.
This was also one of Golden State’s better ball-sharing nights in recent weeks. They finished with 25 assists to Cleveland’s 15, and their mid-game surge, an extended 27-8 run in the second quarter, showed what this team looks like when eight or nine players all contribute in bite-sized bursts.
Given the list of unavailable stars, they simply couldn’t afford a “passive” night from anyone. By the time the fourth quarter hit, the Warriors’ 14-point cushion had shrunk, but their depth had already done enough damage to sustain them. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was the exact type of win an injury-strapped roster needs to survive stretches like this.
Cleveland’s Shooting Woes Wasted Mitchell’s Fourth-Quarter Heroics
Donovan Mitchell nearly stole this game anyway. He finished with 29 points, including 16 in a blistering fourth quarter that dragged Cleveland back into striking distance. His seven made threes (7-for-14) were the only reason the Cavaliers weren’t buried early.
Evan Mobley (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Darius Garland (17 points, four assists) found pockets of offense, but Cleveland couldn’t buy a clean look when it mattered. Outside of Mitchell, the Cavs shot 3-for-28 from deep, an astonishing drought for a team that depends heavily on spacing.
The bigger culprit, though, was Cleveland’s overall inefficiency. They shot just 34.6% from the floor (37-for-107), their worst mark of the season, and their 24 offensive rebounds somehow produced very few momentum-shifting plays. The Cavs repeatedly won possessions but lost the sequences that followed.
Shooting 10-for-42 from deep, just 23.6%, killed any chance of capitalizing on Golden State’s slow start. Even with 61 rebounds and a late 15-5 run that cut the deficit to two, Cleveland never found the rhythm necessary to close. Mitchell gave them a lifeline; the rest of the roster never grabbed it.
