Golden State Warriors concluded their undefeated 6-0 preseason with a 132-74 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center on Friday. Since 1985, teams have a 75 percent chance of making the playoffs after an undefeated preseason and the Warriors won the championship the last time they accomplished this feat (2022). They were the only undefeated team this preseason.
Newly acquired two-way guard De’Anthony Melton and second-year big Trayce Jackson-Davis have developed on-court chemistry throughout the preseason, which again stood out on Friday.
Melton started at point guard in place of the injured Stephen Curry and consistently found his starting big. Early in the first quarter, he attacked the basket in transition and threw a timely bounce pass for an open Jackson-Davis reverse layup.
In the second quarter, Melton again penetrated the paint after a dribble handout with Jackson-Davis and the pair connected on an alley-oop for a dunk. On the ensuing possession, Melton picked off a pass intended for Bronny James and found his big in stride with a dime from behind halfcourt.
The Warriors had 21 assists on 28 made field goals in the first half, with Jackson-Davis tied for first in made field goals (6) and Melton ranking second in assists (4) over that stretch.
Brandin Podziemski wore a clear facemask for the first time since breaking his nose in Sunday’s game against the Detroit Pistons. That didn’t stop Podziemski from maintaining his gritty playstyle, taking charges and diving for loose balls. Podziemski scored 16 points and had three steals, finishing a game-best plus-39 in 21 minutes of action.
Andrew Wiggins played in two preseason games, both against the Lakers and in the starting shooting guard role. Wiggins had 11 points in 21 minutes in his first outing and matched those 11 points more efficiently in less than 15 first-half minutes on Friday. He finished with 13 points and two blocks in 22 minutes.
Before Friday’s preseason finale, the Warriors honored late Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Jerry West, who served as an Executive Board Member for the Warriors from 2011-17. First, they unveiled a “JW” court decal, which will be on the Chase Center floor for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
Then, they held a moment of silence for West and presented Stephen Curry with his 2023-24 Jerry West Clutch Player of the Year trophy that he earned for his late-game performances last season.
West’s nickname during his playing career was “Mr. Clutch” because he elevated his game as the stakes increased. Jerry’s son Jonnie, who is the Warriors’ Senior Director of Pro Personnel, presented Curry with the award.
After jamming his right index finger in a preseason game against the Sacramento Kings a week ago, Stephen Curry re-aggravated the same finger in Thursday’s practice. Head Coach Steve Kerr decided to hold Curry out for Friday’s preseason finale, but was adamant that he’d be ready for the regular season opener next Wednesday.
“He’ll be ready for Portland,” Kerr said.
“Same one [finger]. Not serious, just precautionary.”
The Lakers played without many of their top rotation pieces, including Curry’s Olympic teammates LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Warriors will begin the 2024-25 regular season on the road, visiting the Trail Blazers in Portland on Wednesday and the Jazz in Utah on Friday.
