LOS ANGELES – Hours before the Warriors’ 123-116 barnburner of a victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles, Brandin Podziemski and Steph Curry each launched a half-court shot during shoot-around on a practice court at UCLA.
It’s a competition for the two – the greatest shooter who ever lived and a second-year guard from Santa Clara – that has produced 24 wins for Curry and two dozen victories for Podziemski.
“We shoot one shot after practice during shoot around, and then we both shoot one pre-game,” Podziemski explained after scoring 28 points and making eight 3-pointers. “So if we both miss nothing counts, and if we both make, nothing counts.”
That marksmanship made Podziemski’s unwillingness to shoot a similar halfcourt bomb in San Antonio both bewildering and frustrating. Teammates Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green demanded that never would happen again.
So it surprised none of his Warriors teammates when Podziemski took one dribble and two long steps to get to half-court before he banking in a long buzzer-beating three, which was followed by him belting “Give me my money,” a reference to what Green described as a Warriors tradition of shooting half-court shots with cash on the line in practice.
After being challenged by his veteran teammates, Podziemski’s confidence was on full display.
“He took that to heart and took that shot, and obviously made a lot of big ones,” coach Steve Kerr said.
Podziemski has scored in double figures in eight of nine games since returning from a back injury. That included a 27 points against San Antonio and 15 against Toronto.
Podziemski’s hot shooting – he made 3-pointers on the Warriors’ first two possessions and never cooled off – was complemented by his willingness to defend.
In a game that could have seen the Warriors slip as far as seventh in the Western Conference standings with a loss, Podziemski gave maximum effort when switched onto Lakers superstars LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
Green hopes it is a sign of things to come in the playoffs.
“Unfortunately, he hasn’t had the opportunity to play much meaningful basketball at this level,” Green said. “And so for us, we plan on doing that. And with him, we need these games to prepare him for what’s to come.”
Golden State (45-31) remains the fifth seed in the conference, one game behind the No. 4 seed Lakers and 1 1/2 games behind No. 3 seed Denver. The Warriors will play at home against the Nuggets on Friday and No. 2 seed Houston on Sunday.
“From the Memphis game, and from that point to the next four games, every game is a playoff game to us,” Podziemski said. “That’s how I prepare for it, and that’s how everybody else is preparing for it.”
Curry on state of league
After reminiscing about his storied showdowns with both James and the Lakers, Curry pondered the late-game MVP chants he received from Warriors fans who helped fill Crypto.com Arena and just watched him drop 37 points in another vintage Curry performance.
“There’s a lot of talk about fan engagement, viewership in the league and all that type of stuff. When you get into an arena like this, basketball is in a very good place,” Curry said.
Kerr took a moment to reflect upon another Curry-James rivalry, the once-perennial NBA Finals showdown that is now in the twilight stage of its legendary run.
“It’s pretty special to watch those guys, and watching them this summer as teammates (on the Olympic team) gave me an even greater appreciation for their greatness,” Kerr said. “Really how much alike they are in terms of their work ethic, passion for the game, respect for the game and respect for each other. These are pretty incredible matchups, and we should all savor them while they’re still happening.”
How to slow down Luka
Doncic had, by his lofty standards, a pedestrian game in his first matchup with the Warriors since joining Los Angeles. He shot 6-of-17 from the field and 0-of-6 from behind the 3-point line. He did chip in eight rebounds and seven assists, but it was far from the dominant stat line he normally accrues.
While Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Butler, among others, took turns defending Doncic and did well, Kerr mostly chalked up the off night to Doncic.
“We played really good position defense and tried to stay in front of him,” Kerr said. “He missed some shots that he’ll make, I’m sure, next game. You just try to stay in front of him, because he’s an amazing player.”
