SAN ANTONIO — To earn their first win without Steph Curry of the season, Chris Paul put on a vintage performance, Klay Thompson notched his third straight 20-point game, and the Warriors hit 12 of their 27 3-pointers.
And Trayce Jackson-Davis dunked on the 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama.
Before beating the Spurs 112-102 in the Frost Bank Center on Monday, Golden State was 0-4 on the season without Curry, not including the loss to Chicago in which he exited late with his sprained right ankle.
Even if it was against the Western Conference’s worst team, the Warriors (34-30) earned a much-needed victory that will keep them in the hunt to move up the play-in standings. Led by Paul, who registered 19 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, six Warriors scored in double-figures. With Draymond Green having fouled out in the last three minutes, Golden State clamped down on Wembanyama (27 points, 14 rebounds).
In the Warriors’ last matchup with the Spurs, a concerning 126-113 loss in Chase Center, the absences of both Curry and Wembanyama removed the glamor. Wembanyama was back to provide star power to the second leg of the home-and-home, though.
Wembanyama used his instincts and eight-foot wingspan to force a Jonathan Kuminga miss at the rim. He scored over Thompson in the post, dunked on a drop-step around Kuminga and stuffed Moses Moody at the rim.
In the first quarter alone, the rookie phenom logged seven points and seven rebounds in seven minutes. Then he opened the second quarter with a steal and slam, hardly requiring a dribble as he glided his way across half the court.
Without Wembanyama on Saturday, the Spurs crushed Golden State by shooting 17-for-33 (51.5%) from behind the arc. Before the All-Star break, they ranked last in 3-point percentage. Since, they lead the league.
San Antonio’s outside shooting allowed them to lead by as much as 21 in the Chase Center, but the Warriors prevented them from pulling away Monday night. The Spurs hit five of their first seven 3-pointers, but Golden State responded with an 11-2 run to start the second quarter. Paul, who ended the first frame with a buzzer-beating fadeaway, produced a steady stream of offense.
With Paul and Thompson, the Warriors were able to gather themselves when things got unsettled. Following an 8-0 Spurs run, the backcourt duo helped engineer a 13-4 answer. A Brandin Podziemski and-1 halfway through the third gave Golden State its first lead in almost 12 game minutes.
Podziemski thrived in his first game coming off the bench since Feb. 14, recording 14 points and eight rebounds while also drawing his league-leading 33rd charge. Paul and Trayce Jackson-Davis continued to show chemistry in the pick-and-roll, with the point guard connecting with the rookie on a pair of alley-oops.
The Warriors won the third quarter 32-16, completely flipping the game. The third flowed into the fourth, too, with Kuminga and Thompson leading another charge as Paul rested. San Antonio cooled off from range, dipping below 40%.
Golden State needed all the varying options to pick up the slack without Curry, who’s set to be re-evaluated Tuesday.
“It definitely puts pressure on all our guys, without Steph,” Steve Kerr said pregame. “So much of what we do revolves around him and the threat that he is, not to mention the (26.9) points per game.”
Without their center of gravity, more offense ran through Paul, who displayed the feel for the moment he’s honed over the course of his Hall of Fame career.
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As soon as the Spurs cut Golden State’s lead to single digits, Paul drilled a tough fadeaway from the midrange. Then he patiently found Kuminga cutting along the baseline for a tomahawk dunk. When Devin Vassell canned a 3 to again threaten the Warriors’ lead, Paul went straight back to his spot on the elbow for another jumper.
For the last 2:43 of the game, with Green out, the Warriors held San Antonio to one point. Jackson-Davis then stamped the win by somehow postering Wembanyama.