The Golden State Warriors defeated the Washington Wizards at home with a score of 122-114, securing their second consecutive victory. With a current record of 21 wins and 20 losses, they are ranked 10th in the Western Conference, tied with the 11th-ranked Phoenix Suns. Both teams have faced challenges this year, with Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry experiencing difficulties. Initially, both teams were among the top contenders in the West, but they have since fallen behind. The Suns' problem lies in Bradley Beal taking up too much space, making the team top-heavy. However, the Suns have recently decided to go all-in, planning to trade Beal and their remaining first-round pick for Jimmy Butler.
The Suns aim to form a starting lineup featuring Chris Paul as point guard, Devin Booker as shooting guard, Jimmy Butler as small forward, Kevin Durant as power forward, and Deandre Ayton as center. They only need to replace Beal with Butler to make one final push, considering they have already spent 188milliononluxurytaxthisseason,totaling400 million in expenses. The Suns' spending ability surpasses even the Warriors, who have won several championships, while the Suns remain in the play-in tournament. Unfortunately, they have exhausted their draft picks, leaving the owner with no choice but to continue gambling, as tanking would be useless.
Compared to the Suns, the Warriors' situation is slightly better, but their fate seems to be sealed. There are likely only two outcomes: either they fail to qualify for the play-in tournament or they make it to the playoffs only to be eliminated in the first round. Can you believe that the Warriors could still compete for the championship? Their roster is no longer sufficient, and Curry is aging, with injuries becoming more frequent. In today's game, Curry was forced to leave the court due to an injury sustained while blocking Poole in the fourth quarter. Draymond Green also suffered an injury just three minutes after returning from his own injury, leaving the Warriors' offensive and defensive pillars vulnerable.
The best news for the Warriors' owner might be that after the departures of Paul and Thompson, the team's salary cap space is healthy, and they do not have to pay any luxury tax. It seems the owner's strategy now is to wait for Curry's retirement before completely rebuilding the team, avoiding luxury tax expenditures for Curry's support in the coming years and instead capitalizing on Curry's drawing power for ticket sales. Facing the Wizards, who are intentionally losing games, the Warriors did not dominate as expected but were repeatedly challenged by the Wizards.
In the first quarter, the Warriors lost Green early on, leaving Wiggins and Schroder to carry the load against the Wizards, who led by four points at the end of the quarter. In the second quarter, the Wizards extended their lead to as many as nine points. It was then that Curry stepped up, hitting two unreasonable three-pointers, stealing the ball on defense to lead a fast break, and assisting Payton with a three-pointer. Under Curry's leadership, the Warriors only trailed by seven points at halftime. Poole contributed 23 points in the first half, displaying remarkable firepower.
In the second half, the Warriors finally seized the moment, with Curry and Wiggins combining for 12 points, forcing the Wizards to rely on Poole. The Warriors outscored the Wizards 36-27 in the third quarter, overtaking them by two points. In the fourth quarter, Schroder and Curry continued to attack from the backcourt, extending the lead to ten points. Despite Curry's injury, the Warriors managed to secure the win. Curry finished with 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Wiggins had 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists, and Schroder scored 20 points. Looney was also strong with 10 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
On the Wizards' side, Poole scored 38 points with 5 rebounds and 5 assists, shooting an impressive 12 of 24 from the field and 8 of 15 from beyond the arc. Poole indeed demonstrated the influence of Beal in the Wizards, but it remains to be seen whether the Wizards can secure a top-three draft pick this year. As for the Warriors, with Curry's injury, it is uncertain how they will fare going forward. The season is already halfway through, and the Warriors have shown what they are capable of. Moreover, the Western Conference is highly competitive, making it unclear whether the Warriors will make the playoffs this year; last season, they barely made it through the play-in tournament.