The Golden State Warriors defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 120-112 on Friday night, improving to 39-36 on the season. The Dubs are now just a half-game back of the Clippers and Suns for the fifth and fourth seeds in the Western Conference.
76ers star center Joel Embiid was a force all night. Squaring off against the Warriors undersized frontcourt, Embiid bullied his way inside throughout the game. He finished with 46 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists, doing a significant portion of his damage at the free-throw line (19-for-22).
Making matters worse for the Dubs, Sixers forward Tobias Harris was hyper-efficient, finishing 10-for-12 from the field with 23 points. However, Philadelphia needed another scorer to keep up with the Warriors. With James Harden sidelined, Tyrese Maxey recorded 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists, but no other Sixers player scored more than 8 points.
While the Sixers were dominating at the free-throw line, the Warriors kept pace from behind the arc. The Warriors scored 30 more points than the 76ers from three over the course of the game. And that’s with a relatively pedestrian 2-for-7 three-point shooting line for Steph Curry.
Jordan Poole led the charge for the Warriors, finishing with a team-high 33 points. He scored 19 in the fourth quarter, including a game-clinching corner three to give the Warriors a five-point lead with less than 1:20 left in regulation. Klay Thompson finished 6-for-13 from three with 21 points. While he struggled from behind the arc, Curry racked up 29 points and 8 rebounds, shooting 8-for-11 from two-point range.
The highs and lows of Draymond Green were on full display on Friday. While he missed all five of his three-point attempts, he scored 10 points on 5-for-11 shooting from the field. He committed five turnovers but was also integral in setting up his teammates for easy shots, racking up a game-high 10 assists.
The Warriors will have one day off before they host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday. Opening tip is scheduled for 5:30 PM Pacific.