SAN FRANCISCO – Five Warriors scored in double figures, led by Kelly Oubre Jr. with 24 points but the Warriors faded down the stretch as the Philadelphia 76ers utilized a 19-4 run to close out a 108-98 victory over Golden State.
Oubre shot 8-of-14 from the field, including 2-of-4 behind the three-point line. He also had a team-high 10 rebounds and three assists for the Warriors, who slipped to 22-22 on the year.
Golden State led 92-86 with 6:40 left in the game before the 76ers outscored the Warriors 28-13 in the final frame. Philadelphia’s defensive mentality was dominant in the fourth quarter, making life difficult for Golden State.
“They put the put the clamps down on us,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. “I didn’t like our start. Our lack of energy, spirit we got in a hole right away in the first quarter.”
The 76ers started the game hot, knocking down 12 of their first 22 shots to stake a 27-9 lead, before the lead ballooned to 35-17 at the end of the first quarter. Golden State was cold early, shooting 7-of-21 from the field.
After surrendering 35 points in the first quarter, the Warriors outscored Philadelphia 28-24 in the second quarter before the 76ers went into halftime with a 59-45 lead.
But in the third quarter, Golden State started to make their move outscoring Philadelphia 40-21 thanks in large part to the three-point line. After shooting 1-of-11 from three-point land in the first half, the Warriors shot 6-of-7 from deep in the third quarter to help Golden State carry an 85-80 lead into the fourth quarter.
“I like the third quarter effort from the starters,” Kerr said. “They responded and really got us back in the game. There was a lot of good stuff. We battled, but we couldn’t close out the game. We couldn’t score when we needed to.”
Jordan Poole chipped in with 19 points but shot 5-of-16 from the floor, including 2-of-9 from beyond the three-point arc.
“This loss is tough,” said Andrew Wiggins. “Nice comeback and all but we didn’t close at the end.”
Wiggins finished with 14 points. Damion Lee provided a good scoring punch off the bench, finishing with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting to help the Warriors outscore the 76ers bench 24-20.
Rookie center James Wiseman scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds in 28 minutes. It was his first game back after being placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocol. Wiseman, who missed the three games for Golden State, will be the team’s starting center for the remainder of the season, Kerr said.
Stephen Curry missed his third straight game with a tailbone bruise since falling hard on his backside in Houston during the Warriors most recent road trip. Curry is expected to miss at least the next three games, the team announced prior to the game.
Tobias Harris scored 25 points to go with 13 rebounds to lead Philadelphia to their ninth win in their last 10 games giving them the best record in the Eastern Conference at 31-13.
“What I liked about this game tonight, he didn’t force it, he kind of just let the game come to him,” Philadelphia head coach Doc Rivers said. “And he made plays, not just with his shot but with the pass. Played phenomenal defense.”
Ben Simmons scored 10 of his 22 points in the first half for the 76ers, who have now won five straight road games. Philadelphia came into Tuesday night after a 101-100 victory at New York on Sunday. Tony Bradley, who is starting for injured center Joel Embiid, shot 8-for-8 from the floor to finish with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
The 76ers outrebounded Golden State 51-38.
Following tonight’s game, the Warriors are off on Wednesday before heading to Sacramento to face the Kings on Thursday night.
Photo by Warriors/Twitter
