SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors continued to take aim from behind the 3-point arc, but also turned the dial up on attacking the basket.
Once again, more than half of the Warriors’ field goal attempts came from behind the arc, but they also got to the line for 37 foul shots.
Even Lindy Waters III, a 3-point specialist, drove a close-out for an and-1 finish in the game’s waning minutes.
With just under two minutes left in a tie game, Pat Spencer hit Gui Santos with long advance pass for another and-1, giving Golden State a 105-102 lead. A minute later, after briefly ceding the lead, Spencer converted the go-ahead layup.
The five of Spencer, Waters, Santos, Reece Beekman and Quinten Post saved the day.
“I thought the story of the game was really that last group, the last five, six minutes, that young group came in and it was the first time all night we looked connected and fast,” Steve Kerr said postgame. “I think we were tired tonight, frankly. I think our guys need a day off, which they’ll get tomorrow…Sacramento, I thought, totally outplayed us all game.”
In the Warriors’ first preseason game at the Chase Center, Golden State stayed undefeated. The 109-106 win over the Kings gives them victories in Honolulu, Sacramento and now San Francisco.
Moses Moody led the game in scoring with 23 points in 25 minutes, earning the start with his strong training camp performance. Jonathan Kuminga added 19 and the end of the Warriors’ bench closed the game out.
Steph Curry scored six points and added four assists in 16 minutes, but didn’t come out of the weight room for the second half, instead working out individually after jamming a finger.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ third win of the preseason.
Again, a new starting lineup
The Warriors celebrated their third preseason game with their third distinct starting-five. Only this time, they went with a group — Steph Curry, Moses Moody, Gary Payton II, Kyle Anderson and Draymond Green — that likely won’t start any games in the regular season.
Curry and Payton have always played well together, Moody has had a strong preseason and the Warriors want to see Anderson and Green operate together. And as Andrew Wiggins (illness) remains inactive, tinkering with realistic starting combinations can only go so far.
The irony of all that is the group on Friday — the one without any real spacing around Curry — shot it great. Anderson drilled a pair of 3s, including a tough one in the corner in transition, and Green added another. The unit was sound defensively and hit its shots, looking much more cohesive than it did on paper.
Anderson and Green aren’t going to be knockdown shooters. Defenses aren’t even going to close out to them most of the time. But Anderson shot 40% from 3 two years ago and Green shot a career-best 39.5% last season. When the Warriors want to shoot as much as they do, any way they can pitch in will help.
Quick night for Curry
Steph Curry played 16 minutes, which is what he was likely penciled in for, but he didn’t come out for the second half to sit on the bench. Other starters, including Green, opened the third quarter.
Instead, Curry worked out in the weight room because of a minor finger injury. Kerr planned on getting Curry second-half minutes for the first time this preseason, but the Warriors didn’t want to push it after Curry tweaked his right index finger (x-rays came back negative, per the team).
Four minutes into the second quarter, Curry jammed his finger while contesting a shot. Curry tried shaking and flexing his hand after the play, and he remained in the game for much of the rest of the period. Curry eventually left the court and headed into the tunnel, with head trainer Rick Celebrini following him.
The fastest way to hang a cloud over any good preseason vibes is any sort of Curry injury — however insignificant it may be.
“You always get nervous when he gets hurt,” Kerr said.
Podz, jump-starting the break
For the second straight game, Brandin Podziemski threw an over-the-head dime to a teammate who had leaked out for a fast break. This time, with a minute left in the first half, Moody was on the receiving end.
The Warriors want to get up and down. It’s hard to get players to buy into sprinting their lanes in transition if they never get the ball. That makes hit-ahead passes important, and Podziemski is fantastic at them. The guard led the Warriors in rebounding last season, so he’s going to have chances to initiate chances in transition.
Being able, and willing, to make aggressive passes down the court is a valuable skill to have, and Podziemski has a knack for it.