Half of the 10 Warriors in uniform were once signed to two-way contracts, four of them played in the G League at some point this season and three were actively playing on two-way deals.
They still managed to steal one from one of the Western Conference’s top teams.
Brandin Podziemski scored 26 points and delivered the key buckets late in overtime as an undermanned Golden State squad went into Houston on Thursday and outlasted the Rockets, 115-113.
“To be that short-handed, on the road, against a great team and to have the performance, I’m really proud of the guys,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
All five Warriors starters scored in double figures, and G League call-up LJ Cryer drained four 3-pointers off the bench, as Golden State got the last laugh in a game that was tied eight times and featured a dozen lead changes.
For the second straight game, the Warriors’ reserves jumped to a double-digit lead before halftime and allowed it to slip away. But this time, Golden State didn’t let the game get away.
What it means
The Warriors (32-30) avoided a third straight loss and pulled out a win in a game that many had written off.
Turning point
Podziemski drained a 3, grabbed a defensive rebound and then blew past Kevin Durant in the sequence that allowed the Warriors to escape with the unlikeliest of wins.
The score was tied at 106 midway through the overtime period when Podziemski got free around a screen and drained his fourth 3-pointer to give Golden State what turned out to be the decisive lead.
He put them up by five by driving past Durant, who looked back and found no help defense.
The Warriors sent Durant to the foul line with the opportunity to tie the score down 113-110 with 30 seconds left, but his last free throw clanked off the rim and Draymond Green secured the rebound.
MVP: Warriors’ starting backcourt
The combination of Podziemski and De’Anthony Melton started alongside each other for the first time Monday against the Clippers. In their second game sharing the starting lineup, they provided about as good of a one-two scoring punch the Warriors could ask for without Steph Curry, Moses Moody, Will Richard or Gary Payton II.
“I thought that might’ve been Brandin’s best game of the year,” Kerr said.
While Reed Shepherd lit up the Warriors for a game-high 30 points, Golden State’s guards took full advantage of his defensive shortcomings. Melton paced the Warriors with 10 of his 23 points coming in the first half, while Podziemski shouldered the load after halftime with all but five of his 26 points.
Stat of the game: 90/20/15
These were the season averages the Warriors were playing without against a Rockets team at full strength. Golden State was missing, on a cumulative per-game basis, 90 points, 20 rebounds and 15 assists.
Up next
The road ahead doesn’t get any easier for the Warriors, who head to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder on Saturday (5:30 p.m. PT). It remains to be seen whether Kristaps Porzingis (illness), Moody (wrist), Richard (ankle) or Payton (ankle) will be cleared to return.
