Golden State Warriors hang on to beat Brooklyn Nets in NBA cliffhanger

It got much closer than the Warriors would have liked, but the Dubs did just enough to hold on to a 110-106 victory over the Nets on Saturday.

Klay Thompson made the biggest shot of the game, knocking down a deep 3-pointer with 12 seconds left to put the Warriors up by four. He’d make a pair of free throws moments later to put the game on ice.

But the Warriors needed every point possible to put away the Nets. Brooklyn answered double-digit deficits on multiple occasions and overcame a 19-point deficit midway through the third quarter and took the lead early in the fourth quarter.

But the Warriors made enough plays down the stretch, and Stephen Curry and Thompson came through with some key baskets in the fourth period.

Andrew Wiggins finished with 24 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and three steals, Curry had 19 points and eight assists and Thompson tallied 16 points in the win.

After going 6-1 on this homestand over the last two weeks, the Warriors will hit the road for a two-day, two-game Texas road trip that opens on Monday in Houston.

CLUTCH KLAY
Klay Thompson was having a rough go of it, but he came through with the game on the line. Thompson was just 2-for-11 through the first three quarters, but he made all three of his shot attempts in the fourth period. And during that stretch, no other Warriors player made a shot from the floor. Playing his ninth game since missing two full seasons due to injury, Thompson scored nine of the team’s final 14 points, including the clutch 3-pointer off of a Stephen Curry assist with 12.1 seconds left.

CURRY PRESERVERES
Like his fellow brother, Stephen Curry wasn’t having his finest game. He shot 1-for-7 from the floor in the first half and didn’t connect on a 3-pointer until the first possession of the third period. He turned the ball over on a few key possessions in the fourth quarter as Brooklyn rallied, but Curry overcame that with that key assist on Thompson’s clutch three. In addition to that, Curry knocked down two of his three 3-point attempts in the final quarter. Curry would finish the game with 19 points, 14 of those coming in the fourth quarter, including a perfect 6-for-6 on free throws.

WIGGINS CARRIES THE LOAD
With Curry and Thompson struggling early, Andrew Wiggins carried the Dubs early. The soon-to-be first-time All-Star had 14 of his 24 points in the first period, but he affected the game in so many ways beyond his scoring, picking up two steals, two blocks and five rebounds, the last of which came on this nasty putback slam.

RESILIENT NETS
Playing without Kevin Durant and James Harden, the Nets were led by Kyrie Irving. The veteran guard led Brooklyn back from a 13-point deficit in the second quarter and a 19-point hole in the fourth, finishing the game with 32 points and seven assists. Irving got help from another veteran guard in Patty Mills, who connected on six 3-pointers on a 24-point night. Behind that veteran savvy backcourt, the Nets nearly pulled off the improbable, but the Dubs made just enough plays down the stretch.

UNSUNG HEROES
Otto Porter Jr. made his fifth straight start, and he came through with another efficient performance, scoring 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting. He has shot 59.5 percent from the floor over those five starting assignments, and on Saturday he tallied four blocks to go along with his much-needed shot making. In addition to Porter’s strong play, Jordan Poole made an instant impact off the bench, making two 3-pointers and adding three assists in his first five minutes of game action. Poole would finish the game with 17 points and six assists, and he made one of the most improbable shots of the game.