San Antonio vs. Golden State, Final Score: Spurs taken out to the woodshed by Warriors, 106-148

03/30/2025 09:20 PM

Motivated Warriors team runs tired Spurs out of the building

The visiting Golden State Warriors dictated the action at both ends from the tip to grow its early lead to as much as 45 before putting away the San Antonio Spurs 148-106. Golden State ran up its steals count (16 total) and then ran fast breaks at nearly every opportunity to get itself 40+ point quarters in the first and third. The Warriors accomplished this also with Stephen Curry only hitting two shots in the first 21 minutes of action.

San Antonio was led by Keldon Johnson (19 points in extended garbage time) and Devin Vassell (12 points) with minimal resistance to the Warriors' onslaught.

Golden State received a balanced effort in the blowout win with all five starters getting double figures. Brandin Podziemski (27 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Moses Moody (20 points and 3 steals) did the bulk of the damage in a devastating third quarter demolition, while its veterans - Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler - had pedestrian efforts on a night where they were not needed. Buddy Hield notched 19 points off the bench.

Golden State took advantage of a lackadaisical start by the Spurs to go up A LOT. By the halfway point of the first, the Warriors had accumulated a touchdown's worth of lay-ups due to jumping the passing lanes and San Antonio's porous defense. Green hit his first three shots, while Curry did not get his first open jumpshot until 7+ minutes in. Golden State rung up its 14th first quarter of 40 points or more this season and left the stanza up 44-27.

The Warriors ran a lot of the offensive sets that earned them so much success in their title runs to push the lead out to as much as 27. The sheer amount of lay-ups and paint scores (30+) comprised the bulk of that advantage. No individual Spur mounted a noteworthy offensive run to counter the wave of Warriors' bucket-getting and they went to the break up 68-44.

Moody and Podziemski turned the third quarter into their own shooting gallery, as the Warriors turned an already tough 20-point advantage into a laugher. Vassell tried to insert himself into the game through hia shooting, but that output was eclipsed by the energized antics of Golden State. The Spurs went to the fourth down 38.

Observations

• Is there a term for a 23-hour turnaround on a SEGABABA? It seems not optimal.
• Quinten Post looks like he should've been a Spur.
• Warriors' play-by-play Bob Fitzgerald called our starting center "Jeremy SO-HAWN." So-HAWN was the tallest starter out there oddly enough.
• Sequence of the Game #1: Castle took a give-and-go and hammered down a two-handed thing of beauty over Post early in the second period
• Sequence of the Game #2: Keldon Johnson crossed his man over and found a cutting Sandro Mamukelashvili on the baseline for a nice dunk late in the opening half.

Game Rundown

The Warriors paired a give-and-go lay-up to Butler and a straightaway three by Podziemski to get a quick five points in the opening minute. The Spurs ceded some passing turnovers and Golden State took advantage to go up ten. The Warriors' better ball movement netted five alarmingly easy lay-ups and forced a second San Antonio timeout in five short minutes. Mitch Johnson employed a hockey substitution in response. The Spurs' seventh turnover, which led to a Buddy Hield transition put them down 19-33. While the offense picked up a little near the end of the quarter, they still went into the second down 17.

Early on in the second, Castle took a nice handoff from Chris Paul and went baseline for an impressive slam. Jonathan Kuminga went down awkwardly on a lay-up attempt and limped off the court. A Curry pull-up put Golden State up 20. The Warriors' TV team talked up Blake Wesley often throughout the broadcast, but the good guys didn't hit hte 40-point mark until a minute remained. Curry's third basket made it embarrassingly 63-34 and San Antonio limped into the half down 26.

Ten fast points by Vassell gave a momentarly glimpse of a potential comeback before Golden State resumed its stifling defense and picking apart a Spurs' defense that was perpetually a step behind. Moody hit a trio of triples to limit any of the damage Vassell caused. In a play that encapsulated the evening, Vassell airballed a floater and stopped to check his hands, while Curry received a transition pass behind San Antonio's guards for a lay-up. Golden State ran roughshod the rest of the quarter to put up 43 points in the frame.

For the Warriors fan's perspective, please visit Golden State of Mind.

San Antonio hosts Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic Tuesday evening at 7:00 PM CDT.