After winning four-consecutive games to end 2019, the Golden State Warriors have struggled through the start of the new decade, losing 10-straight games. However, with an unlikely hero in rookie Jordan Poole leading the way with Stephen Curry along the sideline, Golden State snapped their season-high losing streak with a 109-95 win against Orlando.
Golden State fell behind 10-0 in the opening minutes, yet was able to pick up the slack in the second and third quarters. Orlando started the fourth quarter with a burst of points to cut down the Warriors’ lead. With Golden State reeling, D’Angelo Russell took over the final period to seal Golden State’s first victory of 2020.
Rolling Rookie
After struggling throughout the start of his rookie season, the Warriors 2019 first-round draft pick has been fantastic since a short stint in the NBA’s G League.
Poole led Golden State in scoring with 21 points for a career-high. Poole has scored in double digits in his last four straight games, shooting 42.1% against the Orlando Magic, including 4-of-10 from beyond the arc.
After playing one half of a season at the NBA level, Poole seems to be finding his role in Steve Kerr’s rotation finally.
Stephen Curry on the call
In the third quarter, Golden State’s two-time Most Valuable Player joined the game, not as a player, but as a sideline analyst for the home-broadcast. With Curry on the call, the Warriors stormed out to an 82-71 lead behind a strong third-quarter.
The Warriors’ rookie tandem of Poole and Eric Paschall combined for 14 points in the third period. Golden State shot 13-of-20 from the field. Curry was proud of the Warriors’ performance while he was broadcasting.
Double-double D-Lo
With Curry and Klay Thompson dealing with injuries, D’Angelo Russell has filled in as the Warriors key offensive piece. However, against the Magic, Russell turned into Golden State’s facilitator for a season-high 12 assists.
Russell finished the night with a double-double, scoring 26 points on 9-of-21 shooting from the field. When the Magic went on a run, Russell was able to step up and knock down a few big shots to close-out Orlando.
