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NBA highlights on Nov. 25: Warriors reach winning percentage of .500
Li Xiang
Stephen Curry (#30) of the Golden State Warriors shoots in the game against the Utah Jazz at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, November 25, 2022. /CFP
Stephen Curry (#30) of the Golden State Warriors shoots in the game against the Utah Jazz at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, November 25, 2022. /CFP

Stephen Curry (#30) of the Golden State Warriors shoots in the game against the Utah Jazz at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, November 25, 2022. /CFP

The Golden State Warriors beat the Utah Jazz 129-118 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, on Friday to secure their 10th win of the season, reaching the winning percentage of .500.

This was a very typical win of the Warriors' style. They shot 20-for-45 from downtown, committed 33 assists but with 19 turnovers, and built a double-digit lead as early as the first quarter, but lost it in the third quarter before gaining it back via a fast break run.

Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins all scored 20+ points while Jordan Poole went 5-for-7 within the 3-point line to get 19 points. Considering Poole's struggling performance this season, it was one of those nights that he didn't hold his team back, at least not by too much.

Andrew Wiggins (R) of the Golden State Warriors dunks in the game against the Utah Jazz at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, No9vember 25, 2022. /CFP
Andrew Wiggins (R) of the Golden State Warriors dunks in the game against the Utah Jazz at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, No9vember 25, 2022. /CFP

Andrew Wiggins (R) of the Golden State Warriors dunks in the game against the Utah Jazz at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, No9vember 25, 2022. /CFP

Poole's performance enabled the Warriors' bench unit to beat their Jazz counterpart. As Donte DiVincenzo grew more familiar with the team's system and could play longer time on the court, he made good enhancements to the backup squad's perimeter defense and orchestrating, allowing Poole to focus on scoring, which he does the best.

The better Poole and DiVincenzo can run the game, the less time Draymond Green has to spend with the bench unit, so he can provide more of what the starting lineup needs the most from him: defensive contributions as a pillar and screen players with Curry. When Green was paired with Kevon Looney, Looney wouldn't be overloaded and could invest more effort in finishing and rebounding. He had a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass.

Klay Thompson (R) of the Golden State Warriors shoots in the game against the Utah Jazz at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, November 25, 2022. /CFP
Klay Thompson (R) of the Golden State Warriors shoots in the game against the Utah Jazz at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, November 25, 2022. /CFP

Klay Thompson (R) of the Golden State Warriors shoots in the game against the Utah Jazz at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, November 25, 2022. /CFP

The Jazz, which were one of the first teams to claim 12 wins in the Western Conference, suffered their third straight loss on Friday night. Their offense was still sharp. The team managed to score 118 points despite shooting 11-for-45 behind the arc. Jordan Clarkson alone went 8-for-9 in the paint to get 16 points there. Collin Sexton didn't share his production or efficiency, but his charging of the rim distracted the Warriors' defenders enough for his teammates to finish easily around the rim. Jarred Vanderbilt made all of his field goals (FGs) in the restricted area.

Lauri Markkanen caused more trouble for the Warriors. His 2.13-meter height, skillful dribbling and soft touch made him a threat wherever he received the ball in the front court. Furthermore, he went 5-for-11 at the 3-point line and made at least one triple in each of the four quarters. Markkanen and Kelly Olynyk, who also drained three triples to get 21 points in Friday's game, maybe one of the most underestimated big men pairs in the league.

Lauri Markkanen (#23) of the Utah Jazz drives toward the rim in the game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, November 25, 2022. /CFP
Lauri Markkanen (#23) of the Utah Jazz drives toward the rim in the game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, November 25, 2022. /CFP

Lauri Markkanen (#23) of the Utah Jazz drives toward the rim in the game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, November 25, 2022. /CFP

However, what the Jazz really lost in recent games was their defensive concentration. They don't have enough reliable defenders on their major roster. Vanderbilt may be their best option on this front, but he can't make a working system on his own; Sexton, Clarkson and Markkanen have been known for their poor defense since they entered the NBA; Olynyk is a smart defender, but he is good at working with elite defender teammates, not stopping everyone by himself; Mike Conley has aged too much both ends of the game.

The Jazz don't have a clear goal for the season after starting it with as many as 15 new members. If they continue to lose, the team will get high draft picks in return; if they win enough to reach the playoffs, the front office and coach Will Hardy can pick and keep a few players for future aspects; even if the Jazz are stuck in between the postseason zone and the tanking race, they can still receive phone calls over trades of the players who have proved their ability by generating good numbers in the games.

Other games on Friday (away teams come first):

Bennedict Mathurin (#00) of the Indiana Pacers shoots in the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, November 25, 2022. /CFP
Bennedict Mathurin (#00) of the Indiana Pacers shoots in the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, November 25, 2022. /CFP

Bennedict Mathurin (#00) of the Indiana Pacers shoots in the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, November 25, 2022. /CFP

Brooklyn Nets 117-128 Indiana Pacers

The Nets were looking at the fourth win in the past five games when they led 94-84 in the third quarter at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons scored 19 and 18 points respectively for the Nets and the whole team shot 13-for-32 from downtown.

Then came the Pacers' crazy offensive drive led by rookie swingman Bennedict Mathurin who had 16 points in the fourth quarter alone. The team went 12-for-19 from the field and made 12 free throws to outscore the Nets 40-23 in this quarter. Kevin Durant turned on his dominant mode to contribute 20 points while, unfortunately, watching his teammates make one brick after another on the floor.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (#34) of the Milwaukee Bucks dunks in the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, November 25, 2022. /CFP
Giannis Antetokounmpo (#34) of the Milwaukee Bucks dunks in the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, November 25, 2022. /CFP

Giannis Antetokounmpo (#34) of the Milwaukee Bucks dunks in the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, November 25, 2022. /CFP

Cleveland Cavaliers 102-117 Milwaukee Bucks

The Cavaliers led 63-52 after the first half of the game at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland combined to get 38 points for the Cavaliers while the Bucks had to count on Giannis Antetokounmpo alone to support the whole team.

Nonetheless, when the Bucks suddenly upgraded their defensive intensity by making it hard for Mitchell and Garland to receive the ball, the whole Cavaliers panicked. They couldn't make shots, kept turning the ball over, and watched Antetokounmpo bully his way into the paint while other Bucks shot to kill from outside.

When the Cavaliers finally snapped out of the shock brought by the Bucks's 23-2 run, they were already too far behind to come back.

Anthony Davis (#3) of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after scoring a field goal in the game against the San Anotnio Spurs at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, November 25, 2022. /CFP
Anthony Davis (#3) of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after scoring a field goal in the game against the San Anotnio Spurs at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, November 25, 2022. /CFP

Anthony Davis (#3) of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after scoring a field goal in the game against the San Anotnio Spurs at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, November 25, 2022. /CFP

Los Angeles Lakers 105-94 San Antonio Spurs

LeBron James returned for the Lakers after sitting out five games due to an adductor strain. He did well in charging the rim to get 21 points, but was still rusty in orchestrating, delivering five assists with nine turnovers. The main hero at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, was Anthony Davis, who dominated the game with a double-double of 25 points and 15 rebounds after missing only three shots. Russell Westbrook failed to carry on his recent good performance as he made only one FG to get three points and seven assists, but the purple and gold secured their fourth win in the past five games. That's what mattered the most.

As for the Spurs, they solidified their second-last position in the West after seven consecutive losses. Their 6-14 record is the third worst in the league and not much better than the Houston Rockets (4-14), Orlando Magic (5-14) and Detroit Pistons (5-14). It seems the race for Victor Wembanyama is also close as the competition for the playoffs in the NBA.

Minnesota Timberwolves 108-110 Charlotte Hornets

Philadelphia 76ers 107-99 Orlando Magic

Portland Trail Blazers 132-129 New York Knicks

Sacramento Kings 104-122 Boston Celtics

Washington Wizards 107-110 Miami Heat

Atlanta Hawks 122-128 Houston Rockets

New Orleans Pelicans 111-132 Memphis Grizzlies

Chicago Bulls 119-123 Oklahoma City Thunder

Detroit Pistons 102-108 Phoenix Suns

Denver Nuggets 114-104 Los Angeles Clippers

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