San Antonio Spurs (58-19) beat Golden State Warriors (36-40) 127-113 on the road on Wednesday, April 1, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Spurs had the better start, winning the first 35-26 to lead by 9 after one. The Spurs kept the pressure on with a 35-23 second quarter, carrying a 21-point lead into halftime.
The Warriors won the third 34-26 to stay in front, taking a 13-point lead into the fourth. The Spurs took the fourth 31-30; the Spurs finished the job for a 127-113 regulation win.
What decided it
The Spurs grabbed 28.9% of their own misses, while the Warriors recovered 16.7%. The Spurs made 25.8 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 17.4 for the Warriors. The second chances kept adding up.
At roughly 104 possessions per team, the Spurs produced 122.6 points per 100 possessions to 109.1 for the Warriors.
The Warriors' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 57-39.
Who made the difference
Victor Wembanyama was the game's biggest individual force for SAS: 41 pts, 18 reb, 3 ast, 3 blk on 16-22 shooting. His Game Score of 41.2 led everyone. His team was +16 with him on the floor.
Omer Yurtseven led the Warriors with 17 pts, 8 reb, 4 ast on 6-9 shooting, good for a 16 Game Score.
Victor Wembanyama (41 pts, 18 reb, 3 ast) and Stephon Castle (15 pts, 7 reb, 11 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Spurs about a 75% chance.
Across the last 6 meetings in our records, the series is even.
The Spurs are now 58-19, and the Warriors are 36-40. The Spurs last five before this game: W-W-W-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.