The Golden State Warriors held off a late push from the Washington Wizards to secure a 131-126 win on Friday night, extending their winning streak to three games.
Kristaps Porzingis led the way with 28 points and eight assists, setting the tone early for Golden State. Gui Santos delivered in the clutch, scoring 27 points and knocking down two critical free throws with 11.4 seconds remaining to help seal the victory.
Brandin Podziemski filled the stat sheet with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists, while Gary Payton II added 15 points and Pat Spencer chipped in 13. Playing without Stephen Curry for the 24th straight game, the Warriors leaned on their depth to control most of the contest.
Golden State jumped out early, fueled by Porzingis, who hit a pair of 3-pointers during a first-quarter surge that helped the Warriors build a 38-25 lead.
The Wizards, however, refused to go away. Rookie Will Riley paced Washington with 22 points, five rebounds, and five assists, while Bilal Coulibaly added 21 and Bub Carrington contributed 16 points and five assists.
Washington briefly grabbed control late, taking a 111-106 lead midway through the fourth quarter as Golden State’s defense faltered. But the Warriors responded behind timely plays from Santos and Podziemski.
After Riley drilled his third three-pointer to cut the deficit to 129-126 with 13.6 seconds left, Santos calmly sank two free throws to push the lead back to five. On the ensuing possession, Podziemski came up with a steal on the inbounds pass, effectively ending any hopes of a Wizards comeback.
The Wizards, who had just snapped a franchise record-tying 16-game losing streak earlier in the week, couldn’t string together consecutive wins, while Golden State continued to find ways to win despite Curry’s absence.
Up next: the Wizards head to face the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, while the Warriors travel to take on the Denver Nuggets.
