NBA: Jordan Poole puts up 41 as Warriors overtake Blazers

Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson and Donte DiVincenzo allowed the Golden State Warriors to rally past the Portland Trail Blazers 118-112 on Friday in San Francisco.

Published : Dec 31, 2022 11:34 IST

Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) dunks against the Portland Trail Blazers during the second half of an NBA basketball game.
Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) dunks against the Portland Trail Blazers during the second half of an NBA basketball game. | Photo Credit: AP
infoIcon

Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) dunks against the Portland Trail Blazers during the second half of an NBA basketball game. | Photo Credit: AP

Jordan Poole exploded for 41 points and teamed with Klay Thompson and Donte DiVincenzo for three 3-pointers in a 16-2, game-ending flurry that allowed the Golden State Warriors to rally past the Portland Trail Blazers 118-112 on Friday in San Francisco.

After the teams traded 40-plus-point quarters -- the Warriors had a 41-point first that helped them go up by 18, the Trail Blazers a 40-point third that vaulted them into as much as an 11-point lead -- Portland took a 110-102 advantage on a Damian Lillard floater with 5:10 remaining before Golden State flipped the script.

Poole began the game-ending blitz with a short jumper at the 4:14 mark, after which Golden State’s Jonathan Kuminga dunked and Poole connected from 3-point range to make it a one-point game.

While Portland was going 4:08 without a point, Kuminga dunked again to give Golden State a lead it never relinquished. Thompson connected on a 3-pointer that made it a 114-110 game with 1:36 to go.

Lillard hit from the interior to end the Portland drought and cut the deficit in half with 1:02 to play, and the Trail Blazers had a chance to draw even when Poole lost the ball out of bounds.

However, DiVincenzo then stole the ball from Lillard and, 16 seconds later, produced the crushing blow with a 3-pointer that left the Trail Blazers in a 117-112 hole with 24.1 seconds to go.

Poole completed the game’s scoring with a free throw, leaving his point total two shy of the career high he established 12 days ago in Toronto.

He also contributed five rebounds and a team-high six assists for the Warriors, who were once again without Stephen Curry (shoulder) and Andrew Wiggins (non-COVID illness).

Thompson finished with 31 points after hitting seven 3-pointers for Golden State, while won its fourth straight at home over the past six days. The Warriors outscored the Trail Blazers 51-36 from beyond the arc.

Draymond Green logged 10 points and a game-high-tying 11 rebounds, while Kevon Looney also grabbed 10 boards as the Warriors took advantage of the absence of Portland big man Jusuf Nurkic, out because of a non-COVID illness.

Lillard poured in a team-high 34 points in another of his San Francisco Bay Area homecomings. Anfernee Simons returned from a scary fall to chip in with 22 points for Portland, which lost for the fourth time in its past five games.

Portland’s Josh Hart matched Green’s game-high rebound total with 11 to go with 12 points and a game-high seven assists, while Jerami Grant added 19 points.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment