Warriors hang on for huge win over Bucks

What a win!

The Golden State Warriors outscored the Milwaukee Bucks 16-5 over the final four minutes and hung on for a massive 122-121 victory.

Stephen Curry was his usual amazing self, leading the Dubs with 41 points (30 in the second half), while Kelly Oubre Jr. chipped in with 19 points, including the game-winning free throws with 7.7 seconds remaining.

The Bucks had a chance to win it, but Kris Middleton’s 3-point attempt was blocked by Andrew Wiggins, and the clock ran out.

“To come back from 12 down in the second half against a great team, yeah, this qualifies as a hell of a win,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “We needed it.”

The Warriors were desperate for a win. They had lost seven of their previous eight games and are clinging to the final play-in spot in the Western Conference.

Things didn’t look good in the fourth quarter. After playing a marvelous opening half, Golden State struggled defensively after the break and allowed Milwaukee to take a double-digit lead.

But unlike in recent weeks, the Warriors didn’t fold. They held the Bucks to just one-of-five shooting over the final minutes and used their defense to come back and get the big win.

Kerr put Carry back into game two minutes earlier than normal and the move paid off with the victory.

“Steph and I talked earlier in the day about extending his minutes a little bit,” Kerr said. “We have two days off (coming up).”

It looked like Golden State might get a much-needed blowout-win in the early going. The Dubs jumped out to an 18-5 lead less than five minutes in. But Milwaukee cranked up its defense and stormed back.

The Bucks outscored the Warriors 21-10 the rest of the way to cut the deficit to two after the opening quarter.

Golden State’s second unit looked good during its usual six minutes without Steph. Kent Bazemore and Jordan Poole carried the load and helped the Dubs preserve a three-point lead until Curry returned to the court.

The Warriors continued their strong first-half performance to close out the second quarter. Rookie James Wiseman looked great over the opening 24 minutes. He had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds and helped Golden State to a 53-50 lead at the break.

Unfortunately, the momentum didn’t carry over into the third quarter. The Bucks went on a 23-10 run over the first seven minutes to take a 10-point lead. Golden State’s defense was a major issue in the third.

The Dubs gave up 39 points in the quarter and trailed 89-83 going into the fourth.

Golden State needed to get a win after its recent slide. Beating a Bucks squad that is among the best in the Eastern Conference is a huge confidence booster.

The Warriors’ next two games are very winnable. They host the Washington Wizards on Friday before taking on the Houston Rockets on Saturday.