Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) gestures after shooting a 3-point basket during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri Nov 11, 2022 (AP News photo)
By Jerry Feitelberg
Somehow, the Warriors found a way to come back from a seven-point deficit late in the fourth quarter as they down the Cleveland Cavaliers 106-101. The game was a definite nail-biter. There was no question about that whatsoever. Both teams played great defense.
The Cavaliers did their best to keep Golden State guard Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Jordan Poole bottled up for most of the game. The Warriors had to find a way to stop the bigger Cavs’ team from scoring inside the paint. It was a tough task. Yet, the Warriors went on a 17-4 run late in the fourth quarter to win.
The game was nip and tuck for the first 45 minutes. The teams were tied at 25 at the end of the first period. The Cavaliers outscored the Warriors by four in the second stanza to finish the first half leading 52-48.
Curry led the Warriors with 15. Wiggins had nine, Poole 12, Thompson three, and Anthony Lamb seven. Draymond Green did not score, but he had seven rebounds and eight assists. In his first season with the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell led his team with 14. Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and Kevon Love each added eight.
The Warriors went up by three, 55-52, early in the third quarter. The Cavaliers went on a 13-0 run to lead 66-55. The Warriors were ice cold. The Warriors started to connect on three-point shots. Wiggins, Curry (2), Poole, and Lamb made threes. The Warriors trailed came with one 75-74. Cleveland answered with a bucket to finish the third quarter leading 77-74.
Both teams knew the fourth quarter would be a fight to the finish. Could the Cavaliers stave off the Warriors? Could the Warriors stop the Cavalier offense? Would Cleveland find a way to keep Curry from beating them? Neither team would give an inch. The Warriors took the lead 82-81 as they rallied from an 81-76 deficit. Poole connected on a three, and Wiggins made a two-point shot to tie the game.
Kevon Looney put the Warriors ahead 83-81. The Cavaliers rallied to lead 89-85. Curry made it 89-87. The Cavs scored the next six points to lead 93-87. The Warriors were unhappy as the Cavaliers Caris LeVert made a three-point shot in that sequence. The referees called Poole for a flagrant foul.
LeVert was awarded two free throws, and Cleveland retained possession of the ball. It could have been a six-point play. LeVert made one free throw. The Cavaliers scored the next basket to lead 95-97. There were less than four minutes left to play. Many of the fans were getting the feeling that the game was slipping away. Keep in mind the Warriors have the greatest shooter in the history of the NBA.
Curry worked his magic against the Sacramento Kings last Monday night. Could he do it again? Could Cleveland find a way to stop him? The Answer to the first question was yes. Curry did it again. No, Cleveland could not stop him. Curry and the Warriors went on a 16-3 run to win the game 106-101.
Game Notes and Stats- With the win, the Warriors are 5-7. The Cavaliers dropped to 8-4.
Curry finished the night with 40 points, four rebounds, and five assists. Curry made six threes. Curry scored over 30 or more points in nine of the 12 games. Wiggins added 20, Green had a double-double with ten rebounds and 13 assists. Poole added five points. Poole knocked down four threes.
Lamb will be getting more playing time in the second unit. Lamb finished with ten points and made two big three-point shots. Thompson had nine. Thompson contributed with a three in the fourth quarter, and his defense on Mitchell helped the Warriors secure the win.
The Warriors held the Cavaliers’ offense to 40% from the floor: the Cavaliers made eight threes, the Warriors 15. The Warriors were 49% from the floor. The one negative was the number of fouls committed. The Cavaliers had 26 free throws and made 19. The Warriors made 11 in 14 tries.
The Cavaliers had five players in double figures. Mitchell led his team with 29 points, ten rebounds, and nine assists. Mitchell made three threes. Big Evan Mobley had a double-double with 20 points and 12 boards. LeVert had 11, Jarrett Allen 13, and Darius Garland 15. Kevin Love, coming off the bench, had nine.
The Warriors travel to Sacramento to face the Kings Sunday night at the Golden 1 center. The game will start at 5:30 pm. After Sunday’s game, the Warriors return home to face the San Antonio Spurs Monday night at the Chase Center. Tip off at 7 pm.










