Behind Curry’s 30, Warriors beat Wizards comfortably in Jordan Poole’s
return
Golden State Warriors: Steph Curry scores 30 in win over Washington Wizards

>Washington Wizards’ Jordan Poole (13) smiles as he watches a video
tribute for him on the video board before the start of their NBA game at
Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. (Jose
Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
By SHAYNA RUBIN | srubin@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: December 22, 2023 at 9:41 p.m. | UPDATED: December 23, 2023
at 4:49 p.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2023/12/22/behind-currys-30-warriors-beat-wizards-comfortably-in-jordan-pooles-return/

SAN FRANCISCO — Tears welled up in Jordan Poole’s eyes as his tribute
video blared over the big screen. He’d lived a few NBA lives in just
four years with the Warriors.

The tribute video showed the highlights: the moment Golden State drafted
him 28th overall and his career breakthrough as a star of the 2022
championship run. But the video couldn’t capture his fight to stick in
the rotation early on in his career, or the trying 2023 season that
began with Draymond Green punching him during training camp and ended
with an offseason trade to the Washington Wizards.

As Poole watched the tribute from the visitor’s bench, fans stood for an
ovation with “Poole Party” banners in tow, but Poole kept cool. Since
the punch last October, Poole deflects all questions about the punch and
and refuses to dive into the tension that lingered in the tumultuous
season that ensued.

“Just have to come in here, even-keel, and be appreciative of the
moment,” Poole said. “Everything I’ve accomplished here. Embrace it and
go out there and compete against my close friends and other teammates.”

The trade was, in part, to stop that tension with Green from rolling
into this season. The potential for animosity to boil over into Friday’s
game was lessened with Green, indefinitely suspended, out of the
building for the Warriors’ 129-118 win over Washington on Friday night.

>Golden State Warriors' Klay Thonpson (11) greets former teammate
Washington Wizards' Jordan Poole (13) after their NBA game at Chase
Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. The Golden
State Warriors defeated the Washington Wizards 129-118. (Jose Carlos
Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Many wondered not only how Warriors fans would react to Poole’s return,
but how he’d interact with his former teammates who are the only other
people who understand best how that tension felt after the punch. The
scenes that played out showed as much truth as any quote from a podium
could.

Poole took to the court hours early before tipoff and well before most
players were out on the court for warm-ups, throwing a few shots up as
he patrolled the sidelines to greet his former teammates he won a
championship with. He gave Kevon Looney a bear hug, laughed with Gary
Payton II and Steph Curry and chatted up Klay Thompson. Thompson said
the tribute video gave him chills.

“It was like walking down memory lane watching that video,” Thompson
said. “It was special.”

Poole’s trade to Washington for 38-year-old Chris Paul gave him the
reins to a franchise in flux. And while he’s had some 30-point games and
strong shooting nights, his slap-stick turnovers and head-scratching
shot selection have made Poole the butt of the joke on the national TV
junket. Even TNT’s Shaquille O’Neal briefly renamed his “Shaqtin’ A
Fool” segment highlighting the biggest NBA blunders to “Shaqtin’ A Poole.”

Many wondered which version of Poole might show up — the inefficient or
explosive one?

It was a little bit of both as he scored 25 points scoring an
inefficient 3-of-12 from 3 and 7-of-21 from the field.

“It was really weird playing against him,” Curry said. “But it was fun.”

Turns out a game against the struggling Wizards was exactly what the
Warriors needed to extend a win streak to four games. Curry’s 30-point
night, shooting 8-for-13 from 3, inflated the Warriors’ first blowout
win of the year, allowing him to sit the entire fourth quarter. Other
starters sat out for the majority of the fourth.

>Golden State Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga (00) dunks the ball against
the Washington Wizards in the third quarter of their NBA game at Chase
Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. The Golden
State Warriors defeated the Washington Wizards 129-118. (Jose Carlos
Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Chase Center turned into a mini lob city against the Wizards’ poor
defense with Jonathan Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis feasting at and
above the rim. Kuminga had 22 points on 8-for-11 from the field and
Jackson-Davis recorded a consecutive double-doubles with 10 points with
15 rebounds. Paul had 10 assists and was a plus-27 in 25 minutes.

Poole found coach Steve Kerr after the for a long embrace and swapped
jerseys with Looney, a fellow Milwaukee native he grew especially close
with as their careers intersected in Golden State.

“He’s been my right-hand man ever since then,” Poole said. “He’s
probably the person I’m closest with, he’s always had my back and I love
that guy. I told him as soon as I saw him I’d get the jersey. We talk
all the time and we chop it up. That relationship means a lot to me
because he helped me my entire time here.”

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The Warriors finish this home stand against the Portland Trail Blazers
on Saturday before heading to Denver to play the Nuggets on Christmas.

>[pics:]
Washington Wizards' Jordan Poole (13) warms up before the start of their
NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 22,
2023. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Washington Wizards’ Jordan Poole (13) warms up before the start of their
NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 22,
2023. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Washington Wizards' Jordan Poole (13) warms up before the start of their
NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 22,
2023. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Washington Wizards’ Jordan Poole (13) warms up before the start of their
NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 22,
2023. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) hugs former teammate
Washington Wizards' Jordan Poole (13) before the start of their NBA game
at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023.
Tonight's game is Poole's first game back to Chase Center since he was
traded. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) hugs former teammate
Washington Wizards’ Jordan Poole (13) before the start of their NBA game
at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023.
Tonight’s game is Poole’s first game back to Chase Center since he was
traded. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Washington Wizards' Jordan Poole (13) drives past Golden State Warriors'
Brandin Podziemski (2) in the first quarter of their NBA game at Chase
Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. (Jose Carlos
Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Washington Wizards’ Jordan Poole (13) drives past Golden State Warriors’
Brandin Podziemski (2) in the first quarter of their NBA game at Chase
Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. (Jose Carlos
Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Washington Wizards' Jordan Poole (13) drives against Golden State
Warriors' Brandin Podziemski (2) in the fourth quarter of their NBA game
at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. The
Golden State Warriors defeated the Washington Wizards 129-118. (Jose
Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Washington Wizards’ Jordan Poole (13) drives against Golden State
Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski (2) in the fourth quarter of their NBA game
at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. The
Golden State Warriors defeated the Washington Wizards 129-118. (Jose
Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) drives past Washington
Wizards' Jordan Poole (13) in the third quarter of their NBA game at
Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. The
Golden State Warriors defeated the Washington Wizards 129-118. (Jose
Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) drives past Washington
Wizards’ Jordan Poole (13) in the third quarter of their NBA game at
Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. The
Golden State Warriors defeated the Washington Wizards 129-118. (Jose
Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Washington Wizards' Patrick Baldwin Jr. (7) blocks a shot by Golden
State Warriors' Moses Moody (4) in the fourth quarter of their NBA game
at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. The
Golden State Warriors defeated the Washington Wizards 129-118. (Jose
Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Washington Wizards’ Patrick Baldwin Jr. (7) blocks a shot by Golden
State Warriors’ Moses Moody (4) in the fourth quarter of their NBA game
at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. The
Golden State Warriors defeated the Washington Wizards 129-118. (Jose
Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors' Cory Joseph (1) drives against Washington
Wizards' Jared Butler (4) in the fourth quarter of their NBA game at
Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. The
Golden State Warriors defeated the Washington Wizards 129-118. (Jose
Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Cory Joseph (1) drives against Washington
Wizards’ Jared Butler (4) in the fourth quarter of their NBA game at
Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. The
Golden State Warriors defeated the Washington Wizards 129-118. (Jose
Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Washington Wizards' Jordan Poole (13) watches from the bench during the
final minute of the fourth quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in
San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. The Golden State
Warriors defeated the Washington Wizards 129-118. (Jose Carlos
Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Washington Wizards’ Jordan Poole (13) watches from the bench during the
final minute of the fourth quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in
San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. The Golden State
Warriors defeated the Washington Wizards 129-118. (Jose Carlos
Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Washington Wizards' Jordan Poole (13) shares some words with former
teammate Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) after their NBA game
at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. The
Golden State Warriors defeated the Washington Wizards 129-118. (Jose
Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Washington Wizards’ Jordan Poole (13) shares some words with former
teammate Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) after their NBA game
at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. The
Golden State Warriors defeated the Washington Wizards 129-118. (Jose
Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
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