By: Ben Leonard

Follow Ben on Twitter @Ben___Leonard

With star center Andrew Bogut missing his tenth consecutive game on Tuesday with a knee injury, Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr needed someone to step up off the bench. Long-time reserve center Marreese Speights did just that for Golden State, scoring twenty-three points as a starter, leading his team to a 126-86 victory over the listless 76ers, the team that drafted him in 2008. He also grabbed four rebounds and dished out four assists. The win moved Golden State to 25-5, while dropping Philadelphia to a lowly 4-26. The Sixers do have young talent in Michael Carter-Williams and Nerlens Noel, but Tuesday showed that they still have a ways to go to become a respectable team.

Golden State set the tone early, jumping out to a 32-17 lead at the end of the first quarter. After falling behind 6-0, the Warriors went on a 32-11 run to end the period, fueled by six points from Speights and eleven from star guard Klay Thompson. Thompson had a relatively quiet night after the first quarter, scoring just fourteen points in total, or three in the last three quarters. He had a poor night shooting the three-pointer, making just two of eight attempts in the victory.

After a long time on the bench to rest, Speights came back on the floor with 6:24 to go in the second quarter. He made an immediate impact, blocking Jerami Grant’s layup attempt and making four consecutive baskets. Speights’ efforts propelled the team to take a commanding 61-34 halftime lead.

With the outcome of the game in hand, the Warriors eased up a bit in the second half, resting starters and giving bench players opportunities to prove their worth. Leandro Barbosa came off the bench and took advantage of this opportunity for the Warriors, scoring seventeen points on five of nine shooting, including two of four from long range.

Golden State had lost two of their last three coming into Tuesday’s contest, showing the NBA that they are not infallible. They played exceptional basketball on Tuesday, turning the ball over just fourteen times in the romp over the NBA’s worst team. They blocked the Sixers’ shots eleven times, while getting blocked only twice. Even without Bogut, the Warriors proved that they can be dangerous in the post. Speights may not be the long-term solution at center, but he certainly looked the part on Tuesday.

Stats and info courtesy of ESPN