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Warriors Surge Past Sixers in Fourth Quarter

The Warriors brought an end to their losing streak after coming back to earn a 106-104 victory over the visiting 76ers on Tuesday night. Golden State trailed by 12 entering the fourth quarter, but managed to overcome the deficit behind the leadership of Draymond Green, who filled the stat sheet with 20 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, four steals and six blocks. Stephen Curry scored 29 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists, while Klay Thompson added 28 points of his own. With the win, the Warriors improve to 53-14 on the season.

GAME LEADERS

It may not have been pretty, but a win is a win.

It was clear from the outset that Philadelphia was not going to be taken lightly. The 76ers scored the first six points of the game and built a seven-point advantage through the opening four minutes of the contest. Golden State would then rebound from their slow start with a 14-2 run in response to take a 20-15 lead on Stephen Curry’s score with 5:20 remaining in the first frame, thanks in large part to three consecutive three-pointers from Klay Thompson. Neither side had much trouble scoring in the opening quarter, which came to a close with the Warriors holding a slight 35-34 lead.

The two teams traded baskets to open the second quarter until Andre Iguodala followed a Matt Barnes’ three-pointer with a dunk to take a 44-38 advantage with 8:10 remaining in the first half. That would prove to be Golden State’s largest lead of the entire night, however, as Philadelphia would soon turn the tables on the Warriors and take a 59-58 lead into halftime. It would then get worse for Golden State before it got better.

After alternating scores through the first minute of the second half, the 76ers ripped off a 12-0 run to place the Dubs in their first double-digit deficit of the night. The Warriors then answered back with five-straight points, but that would be as close as they’d get until the final minutes of the game. Another 11-2 Philadelphia burst would soon follow, and the young Sixers would ultimately build a lead as large as 90-74 on Gerald Henderson’s free throw with 1:54 left in the third quarter. Draymond Green would close out the scoring in the frame with four free throws of his own to regain a little momentum heading into the fourth quarter, and Golden State would eventually ride that all the way to a comeback victory.

Green opened the fourth quarter scoring with a layup, which Curry followed with six consecutive points to pull the Warriors within 90-86 with 9:55 left to play.

After a Dario Saric jumper, Golden State reeled off the next six points to take a 93-92 advantage on Shaun Livingston’s score with 7:33 remaining. The lead would then change sides six times in the ensuing four minutes, until Curry’s fifth and final three-pointer of the night at the 3:42 mark put the Warriors in front for good. Barnes’ drained a three-pointer of his own exactly one minute later to increase Golden State’s lead to 104-99, and Green’s two free throws in the final minute would provide all the scoring the Warriors needed to close out the eventual 106-104 victory.

With the win, Golden State improves to 53-14 on the season. In rallying from a 16-point deficit, the Dubs tied their largest comeback of the 2016-17 campaign. They’ll look to build off this victory when they continue their homestand on Thursday against the Orlando Magic.