How to watch Warriors vs. Wizards
Golden State basketball is on the way! Come join our game thread and chat about tonight’s matchup here.
The Golden State Warriors continue their homestand with Friday night’s matchup against the Washington Wizards. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM PT in San Francisco and can be watched on ESPN and NBC Sports Bay Area.
Previously with the Warriors:
It’s been two days since Golden State beat the Boston Celtics in a thrilling 132-126 overtime matchup. It was arguably the team’s best win of the season as they overcame adversity to beat the number one team in the Eastern Conference.
Strength in numbers was the key once again in this one. The Warriors had major contributions from several players on the team, but most notably rookie big man Trayce Jackson-Davis, who recorded his first career double-double. The second-round pick scored 10 points to go along with his 13 rebounds and three blocks. He continues to impress with big plays in key moments, earning the trust of head coach Steve Kerr.
Steve Kerr on Trayce Jackson-Davis: “He’s gonna play. He’s gonna be in the lineup.” Clarified after that it meant rotation, not necessarily starting lineup. pic.twitter.com/U9R1NztDhh
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 20, 2023
The star of the game, however, continues to be Stephen Curry. He brushed off a slow start to the game and finished it off with a bang. Curry played the entire fourth quarter and overtime with five fouls, masterfully navigated his way to a 33-point performance while sealing the game in overtime with a patented “Night Night” dagger.
Steph Curry on Chris Paul's pass to set up his game-sealing triple ️
— NBA (@NBA) December 20, 2023
CP3 in the @warriors win: 12 AST, 0 TOV pic.twitter.com/GcO1O7paDy
What to watch for tonight:
The big storyline coming into tonight’s matchup is the return of former Warriors’ guard Jordan Poole. The Chase Center crowd welcomes Poole back to the Bay Area after the team traded him away this past offseason in a move for Chris Paul.
Having said that, Poole has struggled in his first season away from Golden State. His stats are down from a season ago as he is averaging 17.2 points per game on 41.2% shooting from the field. He is shooting 31.7% from the three-point line – down from his 33.6% last year with the Warriors.
Jordan Poole flopped to try sell a foul call & then proceeded to slip on a wet spot that he created himself 5 seconds earlier.
— David (@theIVpointplay) December 18, 2023
Karma's gonna track you down. pic.twitter.com/yiSewU6DEd
It also doesn’t help that the Wizards, as a team, are struggling this season. Their 5-22 record is third-worst in the NBA and second-worst in the Eastern Conference standings. They have the second-worst defensive rating in the league at 121.3 while ranking 23rd in offensive rating at 112.3.
The one thing going for the Wizards is that they play fast. They lead the league in pace, which should give them plenty of scoring opportunities against a Golden State team that also likes to play fast. This bodes well for Poole as the Warriors have struggled to defend opposing perimeter scoring threats this season. Although the Warriors should be very familiar with their former player’s strengths and weaknesses, Coach Kerr knows revenge games always bring out the best in all players.
Asked Steve Kerr about his interactions with Jordan Poole since the trade and if he thinks players, in general, have resentment towards their former team: pic.twitter.com/11ZpxZHGyJ
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) December 22, 2023
It should be a fun game. Enjoy the basketball Dub Nation. GO WARRIORS!!!
Projected Starters
Warriors: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Brandin Podziemksi, Jonathan Kuminga, Kevon Looney
Wizards: Tyus Jones, Jordan Poole, Deni Avdija, Kyle Kuzma, Daniel Gafford
How to watch Regular Season Game #28
Who: Golden State Warriors (13 - 14) vs. Washington Wizards (5 - 22)
When: Friday, December 22nd, at 7:00 p.m. PT
Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, California
TV: ESPN and NBC Sports Bay Area (available on fuboTV)