Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole scores against the San Antonio Spurs at the Chase Center on Mon Nov 14, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors welcomed the San Antonio Spurs to the Chase Center Monday night. The Spurs, in rebuild mode, came to town with a record of six wins and seven losses. Most of the players on the Spurs’ team are not well known. Head coach Greg Popovich is in the process of remaking his team so they can get back into the playoffs.

The Warriors, smarting from a loss last night to the Sacramento Kings, needed to win at home. The Warriors have had problems on defense this year. They have also committed too many fouls and too many turnovers. The team would rest Klay Thompson, too. Steve Kerr inserted Jordan Poole into the starting lineup, and the move paid off. The Warriors broke the game open in the second quarter and cruised to an easy 132-95 win.

The Warriors got a hot start for the second game in a row. For the second time, they fell behind 20-19 when San Antonio went on a 16-5 run. It would be the only time in the game that San Antonio had the lead. The Warriors, behind Poole, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody, paced the Warriors offense to give them a 33-26 advantage after the first 12 minutes. Poole knocked down 14 points in the quarter.

The Warriors won the second quarter 28-19 to finish the first half leading 61-45. Stephen Curry, Poole, Kuminga, Wiggins, and Moody led the way. Curry finished the half with ten points. Poole had 19, Wiggins eight, Kuminga seven, and Moody six. None of the Spurs’ starters were in double figures.

The Warriors put the game out of reach in the third quarter. The Warriors outscored the Spurs 38-23 to end the quarter leading, 99-68. The Warriors were playing their most complete game of the year. The offense was clicking. The Warriors did not foul. They did not turn the ball over, and their defense was excellent. Kerr replaced his starters, and the second unit played the entire fourth quarter. The reserves still outscored the Spurs 33-27 to win 132-95.

Game Notes: With the win, the Warriors are 6-8 and have won three of the last four games. The Spurs are now 6-8, too.

Poole had his best game of the year. In 27 minutes of action, Poole scored 36 points and connected on five threes. Anthony Lamb was second on the team, with 17 points. Lamb made five threes. Curry had 16, Kuninga 15, Moody 11, and Wiggins ten. 

The Warriors shot 53% from the floor. They made 23 threes in 45 tries. The team recorded 35 assists. 

San Antonio’s leading scorer was Kelden Johnson, with 15 points. Jeremy Sochan and Keita Bates-Diop each had 12, and Josh Richardson, coming off the bench, had ten. The Spurs shot 36% from the floor and were ten-for-40 from three-point range. The Spurs outrebounded the Warriors 64-48.

The Warriors travel to Phoenix to face the Suns Wednesday night. The Warriors hope to get their first win on the road this year. The game starts at 7 pm.