Much better effort and closing out on open 3 pt shooters. On the
Post-game show they said that while his ankle is getting better, Curry
will not be able to play Wednesday against Dallas. -AL

==========================================
Warriors hold off Spurs for 1st win of the season without Steph Curry
Chris Paul stepped up with 19 points, eight rebounds and seven assists

>Golden State Warriors guard Chris Paul (3) drives to the basket
against San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) during the second
half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Monday, March 11, 2024.
(AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Danny Emerman is a Bay Area News Group sports reporter
By DANNY EMERMAN | demerman@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: March 11, 2024 at 7:22 p.m. | UPDATED: March 11, 2024 at 7:58
p.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2024/03/11/warriors-spurs-chris-paul-steph-curry/

SAN ANTONIO — To earn their first win without Steph Curry of the season,
Chris Paul put on a vintage performance, Klay Thompson notched his third
straight 20-point game, and the Warriors hit 12 of their 27 3-pointers.

And Trayce Jackson-Davis dunked on the 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama.

Before beating the Spurs 112-102 in the Frost Bank Center on Monday,
Golden State was 0-4 on the season without Curry, not including the loss
to Chicago in which he exited late with his sprained right ankle.

Even if it was against the Western Conference’s worst team, the Warriors
(34-30) earned a much-needed victory that will keep them in the hunt to
move up the play-in standings. Led by Paul, who registered 19 points,
nine rebounds and eight assists, six Warriors scored in double-figures.
With Draymond Green having fouled out in the last three minutes, Golden
State clamped down on Wembanyama (27 points, 14 rebounds).

In the Warriors’ last matchup with the Spurs, a concerning 126-113 loss
in Chase Center, the absences of both Curry and Wembanyama removed the
glamor. Wembanyama was back to provide star power to the second leg of
the home-and-home, though.

Wembanyama used his instincts and eight-foot wingspan to force a
Jonathan Kuminga miss at the rim. He scored over Thompson in the post,
dunked on a drop-step around Kuminga and stuffed Moses Moody at the rim.

In the first quarter alone, the rookie phenom logged seven points and
seven rebounds in seven minutes. Then he opened the second quarter with
a steal and slam, hardly requiring a dribble as he glided his way across
half the court.

Without Wembanyama on Saturday, the Spurs crushed Golden State by
shooting 17-for-33 (51.5%) from behind the arc. Before the All-Star
break, they ranked last in 3-point percentage. Since, they lead the league.

San Antonio’s outside shooting allowed them to lead by as much as 21 in
the Chase Center, but the Warriors prevented them from pulling away
Monday night. The Spurs hit five of their first seven 3-pointers, but
Golden State responded with an 11-2 run to start the second quarter.
Paul, who ended the first frame with a buzzer-beating fadeaway, produced
a steady stream of offense.

With Paul and Thompson, the Warriors were able to gather themselves when
things got unsettled. Following an 8-0 Spurs run, the backcourt duo
helped engineer a 13-4 answer. A Brandin Podziemski and-1 halfway
through the third gave Golden State its first lead in almost 12 game
minutes.

Podziemski thrived in his first game coming off the bench since Feb. 14,
recording 14 points and eight rebounds while also drawing his
league-leading 33rd charge. Paul and Trayce Jackson-Davis continued to
show chemistry in the pick-and-roll, with the point guard connecting
with the rookie on a pair of alley-oops.

The Warriors won the third quarter 32-18, completely flipping the game.
The third flowed into the fourth, too, with Kuminga and Thompson leading
another charge as Paul rested. San Antonio cooled off from range,
dipping below 40%.

Golden State needed all the varying options to pick up the slack without
Curry, who’s set to be re-evaluated Tuesday.

“It definitely puts pressure on all our guys, without Steph,” Steve Kerr
said pregame. “So much of what we do revolves around him and the threat
that he is, not to mention the (26.9) points per game.”

Without their center of gravity, more offense ran through Paul, who
displayed the feel for the moment he’s honed over the course of his Hall
of Fame career.

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As soon as the Spurs cut Golden State’s lead to single digits, Paul
drilled a tough fadeaway from the midrange. Then he patiently found
Kuminga cutting along the baseline for a tomahawk dunk. When Devin
Vassell canned a 3 to again threaten the Warriors’ lead, Paul went
straight back to his spot on the elbow for another jumper.

For the last 2:43 of the game, with Green out, the Warriors held San
Antonio to one point. Jackson-Davis then stamped the win by somehow
postering Wembanyama.