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Stephen Curry Outduels Brother Seth as Warriors Beat 76ers
November 25, 2021
The Golden State Warriors continued their hot start to the season, earning their fifth straight win with a 116-96 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers at home on Wednesday.
Stephen Curry led the way with 25 points and 10 assists as Golden State improved to 16-2, its best start to the season since 2018-19.
Philadelphia fell to 10-9 after its seventh loss in its last nine games. Seth Curry had a team-high 24 points in the final game of the Sixers' six-game road trip.
Notable Player Stats
G Stephen Curry, GSW: 25 points, 10 assists
G Andrew Wiggins, GSW: 19 points
G Seth Curry, PHI: 24 points (17 in 1st half)
G Tyrese Maxey, PHI: 19 points
Warriors Refocus in Second Half
The Warriors entered the game with the league's best defensive rating, but a lack of focus to start the contest caused them to fall behind by as many as 19 in the first half.
Golden State used a 16-6 burst at the end of the second quarter to cut the deficit to nine at halftime. Jordan Poole drilled a halfcourt buzzer-beater to give ignite the crowd.
Once the team came out of the locker room after the break, there was clearly a different energy as they stormed back.
The Warriors began forcing more turnovers on defense and getting out in transition for quick scores. They shot 13-for-19 in the third quarter and took their first lead since it was 9-7. The Warriors had 11 assists on their 13 field goals.
Golden State is now plus-137 in the third quarter after outscoring Philadelphia 34-23.
The fourth quarter saw much of the same as the Warriors used a 15-3 run to turn a tie game into a 12-point lead. Golden State outscored Philadelphia 30-12 in the fourth, utilizing its trademark ball movement and attacking the rim relentlessly to put the game away.
The Warriors almost allowed a depleted Sixers team to beat them at home. A renewed focus in the second half saved them, but Golden State will have to come out with the same energy to start games if they hope to continue their win streak.
Sixers Take Advantage of Warriors' Early Mistakes
Despite playing without stars Joel Embiid (health and safety protocols) and Tobias Harris (hip), the Sixers made Wednesday's game more competitive than it was expected to be.
Philadelphia came out aggressively in the first half and took advantage of Golden State playing out of character. The Sixers took a 55-36 lead midway through the second quarter.
Seth Curry was excellent to start the game with 17 of his 24 points in the first half. The Sixers were able to find the soft spots in the Golden State defense and forced the Warriors into 10 turnovers before the break.
Things fell apart in the second half, but it was largely due to the Sixers getting caught in a Golden State avalanche. Once the Warriors get going like they did in the third quarter, it's hard for any team to stop them, let alone an undermanned Philadelphia team.
The Sixers can take comfort in the fact that their role players gained some valuable experience while the stars were out. Once Philadelphia is back at full strength, the team will be more prepared to turn its season around thanks to games like this.
What's Next?
The Warriors will go for their sixth straight win on Friday when the Portland Trail Blazers come to town. The Sixers will look to get back on track at home on Saturday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.