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Steph Curry, Warriors respond again with win after another early Draymond exit originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – There’s a trend surrounding the Warriors that’s starting to become more noticeable than their fondness for turnovers.

With two minutes and 25 seconds remaining in the first half and the Warriors struggling in a frustrating second quarter, Draymond Green received two quick technical fouls for an automatic ejection.

Green was loud with his voice and his hands towards umpire Simone Jelks as Kyle Filipowski, whom Green was defending, clearly camped in the paint beyond the allowed three seconds. That resulted in his first tech. 

As Green turned his attention to Jelks, Lauri Markkanen went right past him for a dunk. 

Then came the second tech as Green turned his attention towards referee Kevin Cutler, who nearly instantly felt a verbal line was crossed, sending the 35-year-old back to the Warriors’ locker room for the rest of the game. The Warriors’ response on the court was just as immediate. 

Markkanen made both free throws from Green’s two techs, giving the Jazz a four-point swing and a 12-0 run. They led 60-48 after the two free throws. But whether it was a fire lit inside them or something else, the Warriors outscored the Jazz 10-5 to end the half and by 21 points the rest of the game for a 123-114 win.

Collectively, the Warriors didn’t agree with Green being tossed so quickly. And they won’t lean into the notion that the team is better without him. 

“Nah, hell nah. That ain’t the formula,” Jimmy Butler said. “No, no, no, no, no. We need Two-Three out there. When you’re a man down, you got to pick up everything. It’s generally hard to cover up what he does on both sides of the floor. …It’s so hard to do what he does. But it’s a collective effort when he’s not out there.” 

“I can tell you this: You look at Draymond’s career and he’s on the plus side in a massive way over and over again,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr added.

Nobody can take away Green’s accomplishments in a Golden State jersey. He’s a four-time champion, a future Hall of Famer, one of the most unique players in NBA history and only a handful of guys historically can be mentioned in the same breath as him defensively. 

The numbers, especially over the last month, also unveil a different picture of the current version of Green and the Warriors as a whole. 

Kerr used 11 players Saturday night, and only three had a negative plus/minus. De’Anthony Melton was a minus-3 in 25 minutes off the bench, but he stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, seven rebounds, three 3-pointers, two assists and two steals. Rookie Will Richard was a minus-1 over 18 minutes in reserve. Both were in the positive in the second half sans Green. 

In 12 minutes before his ejection, Green was a minus-15. Since Dec. 1, he has produced a positive plus/minus twice in 11 games – once against the 12-win Charlotte Hornets, and once against the 10-win Brooklyn Nets. Overall, he now is a minus-65 in that month-long span. 

Green, in his last seven games, has been ejected twice and left the bench early in another. He hasn’t finished three of his last four home games at Chase Center. The Warriors responded to his ejection against the Phoenix Suns and were a plus-16 without him. They then outscored the Orlando Magic by 28 points after his incident with Kerr on the bench. 

Wins for the Warriors followed both times, as well as Saturday night against the Jazz. 

The saving grace one night after a 37-point trouncing from the Oklahoma City Thunder was Steph Curry’s 20-point third quarter, which also was without his running mate of the last 14 years. Curry went into the half with nine points on 2-of-7 shooting and then reeled off his latest vintage third-quarter flurry to the tune of 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting, 4 of 6 on threes and was a plus-11 in 11-plus minutes to give the Warriors a four-point lead going into the fourth quarter. 

Fans were in for a treat during that stretch. Curry pulled off both his signature look-away 3-pointer with the ball in the air in the third quarter, as well as yet another triple nearly from the logo. 

Trying to get him to pick between the two was like asking him to choose a favorite of his four children. 

“They’re both great,” Curry said, before repeating the same answer behind a smile. “They’re both great.” 

Still serving a show on a nightly basis, Curry’s longtime coach knows where the credit belongs. 

No plays need to be drawn up. Advice would be a laughing matter. Watch him let it fly and reap the rewards. 

“It wasn’t me, it wasn’t my play calls or anything. It was just Steph,” Kerr said. “That’s how good he is. 

“But again, everything felt right in the second half. The spirit, the energy, the level of competitive fight. You’re much more likely to make shots when you have that approach.”

The same spirit, energy, level of competitive fight and approach must be in conjunction with Green on the floor for the Warriors to ride the momentum they believe they’re building right now. It’s the only way to fight the narrative that matches the numbers, enjoying a win without this trend blossoming into something bigger.

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Observations after Sixers finish road trip on great note, beat Knicks again  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

NEW YORK — The Sixers have had quite a sweet start to 2026. 

They finished a five-game road trip with a third consecutive victory Saturday night, earning a 130-119 win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

The Sixers now stand at 19-14. New York fell to 23-12 with its second home loss this season to the Sixers. 

Tyrese Maxey had 36 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks.

Joel Embiid posted 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. VJ Edgecombe recorded 26 points, four assists, two steals and two blocks.

Jalen Brunson’s 31 points led the Knicks. Karl-Anthony Towns had a 23-point, 14 rebound double-double.

The Sixers’ only two injury absences remained Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor sprain).

“They’re ready to move to 5-on-5 and we’ve just got to get that done,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said pregame. “I would imagine that’s going to happen tomorrow, one way or the other. It’s not easy with all these games and travel to organize it, but they’re both ready to at least get out there and try 5-on-5. And when they do, that’s probably a big step toward getting them back on the court. It should be fairly soon, though.”

New York was down Josh Hart (right ankle sprain) and Landry Shamet (right shoulder sprain). 

Here are observations on the Sixers’ win Saturday night:

Another look at Embiid-Bona pair 

The Sixers had the game’s first three turnovers, including Embiid getting stripped by Mitchell Robinson in the post. 

Embiid otherwise started well vs. Robinson, making an early mid-range jumper and beating the Knicks’ 7-footer inside on an and-one hoop. Robinson committed his second foul on the play. Embiid connected with a cutting Maxey for a lay-in that put the Sixers up 18-13. 

Nurse kept testing out the Embiid-Adem Bona frontcourt and the Sixers were effective with their double-big lineup in the second quarter. Bona rarely does much of note outside the paint, but it’s clear why the Sixers have been intrigued by his skill set next to Embiid. At his best, the 22-year-old is a bouncy, high-energy player who doesn’t need the ball on offense to be impactful. 

“I think that whoever’s playing that four, any of our bigs, we’ve got to have shooting in the other three spots,” Nurse said. “That’s for sure. … Joel likes playing alongside (Bona). I think there’s a good synergy there, so we’ll continue to look at that as we go along.”

Edgecombe not slowing down as scorer

As he had in the Sixers’ Dec. 19 win over the Knicks, Edgecombe served as the primary defender on Brunson. Both guards lit it up in the first half.

The Sixers made an 8-0 run that began late in the first quarter and ended with an Edgecombe three-pointer to kick off the second. About a minute later, Edgecombe nailed his third long-distance jumper on three attempts. No other Sixer made a three until a Jared McCain triple with 7:28 left in the second quarter built the Sixers’ lead to 46-38. 

Edgecombe’s shown fantastic progress lately as an ultra-confident, three-level scorer. Over the past nine games, he’s averaged 21.2 points. The 20-year-old has posted at least 20 points in seven of those outings.  

With Edgecombe running the show and the Sixers more than holding their own, Nurse had the luxury of sitting both Embiid and Maxey for over half of the second quarter. Once they returned, the two helped the Sixers extend their advantage to as many as 19 points in the third quarter. 

Backcourt brilliance seals it for Sixers 

Paul George swished two threes from the right corner in opening minutes of the third period. 

The 35-year-old forward often seemed to be in the background Saturday behind Maxey, Edgecombe and Embiid. He had a very solid night with 15 points on 5-for-11 shooting, eight rebounds, six assists and two chase-down blocks in the second quarter.

Maxey stayed hot in the third, draining deep pull-up jumpers and preventing the Knicks from gaining any comeback momentum for much of the quarter.

The Sixers did hit a dry spell late in the third, but the Knicks missed out on multiple chances to slice their deficit to single digits before the final quarter. They eventually pulled within 100-91 on a Towns driving layup early in the fourth.

With a tremendous Edgecombe sequence, the Sixers halted the Knicks’ push. He jetted to the corner and blocked Mikal Bridges’ three-point attempt, then stormed down the floor and hammered in a fast-break dunk.

Maxey removed most of the lingering suspense with a fourth-quarter shotmaking spree. For good measure, Edgecombe added more highlights in the closing minutes, including a stolen inbounds pass, and the Sixers sealed another excellent victory at the Garden.

What we learned as Steph Curry's huge third quarter fuels Warriors' win vs. Jazz originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors seem to get a boost whenever Draymond Green is banished from a game.

Trailing by 12 when Green was ejected late in the second quarter, the Warriors responded by outscoring the Utah Jazz by 21 points over the final 26 minutes and cruising to a 123-114 victory Saturday night at Chase Center.

Five Warriors scored in double figures, led by Stephen Curry’s 31 points. Jimmy Butler III and Quinten Post each scored 15 points, while De’Anthony Melton had 13 and Gary Payton II finished with 10.

Golden State (19-17) recorded 32 assists and overcame 15 turnovers that gave the Jazz (12-22) 22 points.

Here are three observations from a game that dropped Utah to 0-11 at Chase Center:

Steph’s insane third quarter

After a nine-point first half during which he shot 2-of-8 from the field, including 2-of-7 from beyond the arc, Curry blasted out of intermission and delivered 11 minutes of spectacular offensive pyrotechnics.

His full arsenal was on display, everything from slashing layups to midrange jumpers to free throws to step-backs and pull-ups from distance – including a 36-footer. Coach Steve Kerr, who typically pulls Curry four or five minutes into the quarter, let him cook until less than a minute remained.

Curry’s third 20-point quarter of the season – and 45th of his career – came on 6-of-8 shooting from the field, including 4-of-6 from deep and 4-of-4 from the line.

Moreover, Curry’s outburst powered a 42-point quarter for Golden State, wiping out a seven-point halftime deficit and allowing for a four-point lead (100-96) to open the fourth quarter.

Curry‘s 31 points came on 8-of-18 shooting from the field, including 6-of-12 from beyond the arc. He was 9-of-9 from the line.

Draymond does it again

With 2:25 remaining in the first half, Green received two technical fouls and an automatic ejection after complaining long and loudly to two different officials.

Tech No. 1, whistled by umpire Simone Jelks, came after Green defended Kyle Filipowski in the paint beyond three seconds. When Jelks, stationed along the baseline, didn’t call the violation, Green turned toward her and protested. As he protested, Lauri Markkanen breezed past him for a dunk.

Tech No. 2 came after Green turned his ire toward referee Kevin Cutler, who wasted little time blowing his whistle and banishing Green, who walked directly to the locker room.

Though Green had a point with his protest, he took his protest far beyond what typical officials will allow. This was the third time in the last three home games that he failed to finish, twice due to ejections and once after a heated argument with coach Steve Kerr.

The Warriors won the first two such games, and the third on Saturday.

Melton finds wayward 3-ball

Since concluding rehab from ACL surgery and returning on Dec. 4, Melton has played solid defense, made smart plays and struggled mightily with his 3-point shot. The career 36.4-percent shooter from deep entered the game shooting 16.7 percent (6 of 36).

Melton made his first one with 3:58 left in the first quarter, drained his second 87 seconds later and a third with 2:13 left in the first half.

Melton’s 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field, including 3-of-7 from distance.

The last time Melton made at least three triples in a game was Dec. 7 at Chicago. He had missed 24 of 27 3-point attempts before Saturday night.

Already a rotation fixture, Melton would be a welcome tonic for Golden State’s perimeter offense if he shoots the 3-ball at his customary level. 

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