For the first time since their back-to-back losses to the Minnesota Timberwolves in mid-November, the Golden State Warriors are over .500.
The 126-106 win over the Portland Trail Blazers extends the Warriors' winning streak to five games ahead of a Christmas Day matchup with the Denver Nuggets. Here are three takeaways from Saturday night:
Climb over .500 typified by balanced effort (and Podziemski)
It was ugly early. But it's the NBA. The first quarter is rarely devastating. Despite Warriors with a ton of early turnovers - eight in the first quarter - they got a brilliant second quarter performance from Jonathan Kuminga, along with well-timed rebounding from Kevon Looney.
Both Stephen Curry - 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting - and Klay Thompson got going, Chris Paul (9 points, 11 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 steals) took the ball away and facilitated it, and Trayce Jackson-Davis continued to be a domineering roller to the rim.
Thompson, by the way, - who had 28 points, going 6-of-10 from deep - started heating up in the third quarter in that way only he can. You know it’s going well when Thompson throws up a shot that makes you go “oh no” and it finds its way in.
He chucked a contested corner three over Jerami Grant, who completely restricted his airspace. Thompson rose up anyway, and chuckled after it doinked off the front iron and in.
That was the vibe Saturday night. All of a sudden, the Warriors look like they've got a genuine feel for their identity on both ends. The ball movement Saturday night was as smooth as water off an icicle. There was concerted effort on defense, and some well-timed rebounds.
The only reason Portland was theoretically in the game was because of those early turnovers, including some spectacularly silly ones. Chris Paul had a pair of 8-second violations. The Warriors were also penalized twice for flops called on Curry and Kuminga.
That's the sort of stuff that flies against the likes of the Washington Wizards and Portland Trail Blazers, who boast a combined 12-44 record this season. It could be costly against serious teams.
But the rub here is that the Warriors are starting to get balanced contributions, and some outsized ones, from the likes of Jackson-Davis and Brandin Podziemski.
That second rookie had a near triple-double against Portland. He was a menace. His length, force, and consistency on defense created matchup advantages for Golden State. His ability to drive, finish and distribute allowed them to pull away on offense.
It was fitting that Golden State's first lead after falling behind early came from a slick Podziemski finish. He drove on Scoot Henderson, spun off him inside and executed like a crafty vet at the rim.
His 15 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, steal and block bely how multifaceted his performance was, as he came just shy of a triple-double.
Kuminga playing smart
Steve Kerr said Friday that this is the best stretch of basketball he has ever seen Jonathan Kuminga play. While he's had some outrageous games, this is clearly him at his most consistent. His basketball IQ appears to have taken a leap.
That was on display Saturday night, and was a major reason the Warriors turned an early 11-point deficit into a double-digit lead.
After turning the ball over eight times in the first quarter, Kuminga took charge in the second, making smart basketball plays all over the court.
Most notably, it wasn't as a scorer. He drew a jump ball when Stephen Curry was defending Jerami Grant one-on-one in the post, and a couple minutes later, set up a Curry 3-pointer with a brilliant screen.
Kuminga was a stunning +17 in the first half, with 5 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. He finished with 11 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.
Wisdom and youth working in the front court
The emergence of Trayce Jackson-Davis has been a revelation for the Warriors. It’s put Kevon Looney into the spotlight and begged the question whether the Warriors should start favoring the rookie over the veteran.
But Looney had some key moments in this game that helped the Warriors extend to their double-digit lead. He was vintage, with 6 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists. As usual, his rebounds just seem bigger than other rebounds, because they so often set up second-possession scores.
It was an excellent example of how both he and Jackson-Davis can play key roles for this team in the same game.
Jackson-Davis got another extended run, and made use of it. He continued his torrid streak on the boards and a rim-roller, finishing with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assist and a steal.