The Golden State Warriors needed someone to step up on Friday night. Kristaps Porzingis answered the call with 28 points in a 131-126 win over the Washington Wizards at Chase Center, including five three-pointers that helped close the game out in the fourth quarter.
Afterward, he was candid about something most players would not admit.
His jumper does not feel right yet.
GettyKristaps Porzingis of the Golden State Warriors.
GettyKristaps Porzingis of the Golden State Warriors.
The results on Friday looked sharp. Five threes made, 28 points, a dominant fourth quarter when Golden State needed him most. The numbers told one story. Porzingis told another.
“Honestly, it’s not feeling good,” Porzingis said. “You’re gonna see once I get it right, right. There’s gonna be a difference for sure.”
It is the kind of honesty that cuts through the noise. Porzingis made five threes on Friday and still walked away feeling like there is another level waiting. That is either a concerning admission or a genuinely exciting one, depending on how you look at it. For a Warriors team fighting for positioning in the play-in tournament with eight games left, the idea of Porzingis finding another gear is worth paying attention to.
He arrived in Golden State in February following a trade from the Atlanta Hawks, stepping into a roster already ravaged by injuries. Jimmy Butler is done for the year. Moses Moody tore his patellar tendon. Stephen Curry has not played since January 30.
Porzingis on how his jumper is feeling after making five threes tonight, finished with 28 points 👀
Friday’s win was not clean, but it was earned. Golden State trailed by five in the fourth quarter before Porzingis and Gui Santos took over. Santos finished with 27 points, including 13 in the final frame. Brandin Podziemski came within three assists of his first career triple-double, posting 22 points and 10 rebounds in another strong showing.
The Warriors had 11 assists on 14 made shots in the first quarter without a turnover. The third quarter nearly unraveled things, with six turnovers keeping Washington in the game longer than they deserved. The fourth quarter settled it.
Three straight wins now for Golden State. The last time they put together a streak like this, Curry and Butler were both healthy.
GettyKristaps Porzingis is looking forward to playing alongside Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
GettyKristaps Porzingis is looking forward to playing alongside Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
The wins are coming. The question of whether Curry will be part of what comes next is not going away.
Steve Kerr was direct about the situation this week. Golden State is not bringing Curry back just to put him in a play-in game. He needs a runway of real games to get his body and rhythm right, and that window is closing fast.
“We are running out of games,” Kerr said.
Curry is encouraged and pushing hard to return. Kerr noted this week that his spirits are in a good place despite the frustration of the process. The latest evaluation showed continued progress on the patella-femoral pain syndrome and bone bruising in his right knee, but another week of recovery leaves him with at most five regular season games to ramp up if everything goes right.
Kerr has been clear on what it means to have Curry fighting to get back.
“We’re all really so lucky to have him, just because it’s great for the other guys to see how much it means to him,” Kerr said.
The emotion is real. So is the deadline.
Porzingis made five threes on Friday and still believes his best shooting is ahead of him. That is worth noting.
Eight games remain. The play-in is coming. And somewhere in the background, Curry is pushing to be part of it.
The Warriors are not done yet.
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Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins
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