Draymond, Klay ejected in loss to Wolves; Podziemski has inspirational performance

The rookie had himself a game without the Big 3 in Golden State's fourth straight L.

The Golden State Warriors have lost four straight games, including last night’s bizarre 104-101 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. This game also counted for the NBA’s In-Season Tournament, where the Warriors have fallen to 1-1 in their bracket.

This game was already going to be tough when news spread that Stephen Curry, greatest point guard alive and currently third in the NBA in scoring at 30.7 points per game, was ruled out before this contest with a strained knee. Egads!

And to the disbelief of the Dub Nation members gathered in the state of the art arena that is Chase Center, before a single point was scored the Dubs lost their two other franchise anchors Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Behold of the Tube of You:

1. Looks like as the Timberwolves bricked a three, Klay tried ward off Jaden McDaniels with the old school clavicle push.

2. McDaniels took umbrage as they ran the other way down the court and began grabbing at Klay’s collar in return. They tussle a bit, with McDaniels yanking the neck of Klay’s jersey and spinning him around.

3. Klay returns in kind with a spinning yank of his own and now it’s on as both teams crash in on the extracurricular activity.

4. Giant rim protector Rudy Gobert grabs Klay from behind around the neck area.

5. Draymond Green sees this and snatches Gobert with a textbook sleeper hold that the Macho Man Randy Savage would be extremely proud of.

   

   

6. Now it’s pandemonium as Karl-Anthony Towns now grabs Dray around his neck, although Mr. Green expertly tucked his chin to protect his neck.

7. As the dust settles, the refs decide to eject Klay, Draymond, and McDaniels. Gobert got to stay in though as he was ruled a “peacemaker”!

   

   

So two minutes into the game, the Warriors had zero members of their Big 3 available, against a team that had just beat them a couple days ago when that aforementioned triumvirate was playing.

But what if I were to tell you that only set the stage for a young gun to activate and get busy? That’s right folks, Jonathan Kuminga Moses Moody rookie BRANDIN PODZIEMSKI SHOWED OUT.

Young Podz played 39 minutes off of the bench and had a team high plus/minus of +11. He scored 23 points and grabbed 7 rebounds(!) while dishing 5 assists and hitting 9-of-18 shots from the field. This 6-foot-4 guard outta Santa Clara has no fear!

It was especially moving to see what his father John posted on social media after the gritty performance in defeat.

This is why I enjoy the game so much. While this is absolutely entertainment, there’s a heartwarming aspect of it where every night we get to watch guys who made their families dream come true battle it out on the hardwood. Moments like these are bigger than basketball; they testaments of courage, skill, and the love of competition. This 20-year old stepped in to do his damndest to fill in where the Warriors needed him most, and he almost helped steal a win in the face of sure defeat.

The Dubs will need more performances like this if they want to regain their stranglehold on the league. DID SOMEBODY SAY STRANGLEHOLD?!

• Andrew Wiggins showed love to San Francisco’s area code with a 4-15 shooting performance (1-of-7 from beyond the arc), but he also showed encouraging activity with 7 rebounds and 3 steals in 28 minutes against his former team.

• Dario Saric led the starters in scoring with 21 points and also dished out 4 assists, giving me hope that when the Warriors are whole he can be a real offensive weapon for them.

• Chris Paul played 36 minutes and scored 15 points with 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. He also had a very bizarre turnover down the stretch where he forced a pass when he was in pretty good layup position.

• Kevon Looney snatched 12 rebounds, battling with Gobert (13 rebounds) and Big KAT (11 rebounds) in the trenches. It’s great to have LoonDawg down there under the boards competing.

I am curious as to why Kuminga and Moody combined for 30 minutes of play last night on a night Steph and Klay weren’t playing. Let’s see keep an eye on their minutes going forward, eh Dub Nation?