The Golden State Warriors needed a big performance on Friday night, and Kristaps Porzingis delivered. He dropped 28 points — including five made three-pointers — in a hard-fought 131-126 victory over the Washington Wizards at Chase Center. His scoring, especially in the fourth quarter, helped Golden State erase a late deficit and secure their third straight win.
Yet after the game, Porzingis was refreshingly honest about something most players prefer to keep quiet.
His jumper still doesn’t feel quite right.
Porzingis’ Candid Admission
Despite the strong stat line and clutch buckets that helped close out the win, Porzingis wasn’t satisfied with how his shot felt.
“Honestly, it’s not feeling good,” he said. “You’re gonna see once I get it right. There’s gonna be a difference for sure.”
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That kind of blunt self-assessment stands out. Porzingis drilled five threes and put up 28 points while playing a major role in a critical victory, but he made it clear that this version of his game is not the finished product. When his mechanics finally click, he believes the impact will be noticeable — and potentially game-changing for the Warriors.
For a Golden State team battling for play-in positioning with just eight games remaining, that promise carries real weight. It’s either a subtle warning shot to the rest of the NBA or an exciting hint of what’s still to come.
A Gritty Team Win
The victory wasn’t pretty, but it was earned. Golden State fell behind by five points in the fourth quarter before Porzingis and Gui Santos took control. Santos exploded for 27 points, including 13 in the final frame, while Brandin Podziemski nearly recorded his first career triple-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and plenty of playmaking.
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The Warriors started strong, racking up 11 assists on 14 made shots in the first quarter with zero turnovers. A sloppy third quarter featuring six turnovers kept Washington in the game, but the fourth quarter belonged to Golden State’s supporting cast stepping up in the absence of key stars.
This marks three consecutive wins for the Warriors — their longest streak since both Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler were healthy.
The Looming Curry Question
While the current group is finding ways to win, the shadow of Stephen Curry’s absence continues to hang over the team. Curry has been sidelined since late January with patellofemoral pain syndrome and bone bruising in his right knee. He continues to make progress in rehab and is pushing to return, but the regular season is winding down quickly.
Head coach Steve Kerr has been straightforward: the Warriors won’t rush Curry back solely for a play-in appearance. He needs meaningful games to rebuild his rhythm and conditioning, and the available window is shrinking.
“We are running out of games,” Kerr noted this week.
Still, Kerr has praised Curry’s mindset and leadership, saying the team is lucky to witness how much the game means to him even from the sidelines.
Final Word
Kristaps Porzingis went for 28 points with five made threes on Friday night and still walked away insisting his best shooting lies ahead. That’s the kind of quiet confidence — and warning — that opponents should take seriously.
With eight games left and the play-in tournament approaching, the Warriors aren’t done fighting. Porzingis is already producing, and he’s signaling that more is on the way. Meanwhile, Curry’s potential return adds another layer of intrigue as the season reaches its most critical stretch.
Don’t say he didn’t warn them.