Golden State Warriors fans have become accustomed to nail-biting finishes with late game heroics by multiple Warriors players. Andre Iguodala, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson have all hit game-winning shots this season.
There have been plenty of opportunities for the Warriors to make clutch shots at the end of games because they have been involved in 15 games decided by 3 points or less, which is tied for the most in the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks. They've managed to win 9 of those close games, including 5 game-winning shots. The Warriors have also been victimized on game-winning shots by guys like Russell Westbrook and LeBron James.
Every NBA game has equal value, but game-winners feel like they are worth more when they occur. They're especially uplifting when they occur against good teams, as well as when they take place on the road. The Warriors have won 4 of their 5 game-winners against current playoff teams, and 2 of those 4 were on the road. Gaining experience in all of these close games will only benefit the Warriors come playoff time.
Here are the 5 game-winners, starting with number 5:
5. Stephen Curry: Warriors vs. Celtics (1/10/14)
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0baJfRurYo[/embed]
Curry's jumper was certainly impressive, but it was at home against the Boston Celtics—a game the Warriors should've easily won in the first place.
4. Stephen Curry: Warriors vs. Mavericks (12/11/13)
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHV4Aq_FeVs[/embed]
This wasn't necessarily a pretty play, but Curry found a way to nail a long jumper to seal a big home win against a current playoff team.
3. Andre Iguodala: Warriors vs. Hawks (1/3/14)
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLxvvc23Kgk[/embed]
The Warriors were coming off a huge road win the night before against the Miami Heat and were playing terribly in this game against the Atlanta Hawks. They made a late run in the fourth quarter and stole one from the Hawks with the Iguodala 3-pointer.
2. Andre Iguodala: Warriors vs. Thunder (11/14/13)
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US6pVmJna0U[/embed]
The best part about this game-winner was that Russell Westbrook had just hit a deep 3-pointer to give the Thunder the lead, and Iguodala responded with a clutch fade-away jumper of his own. Westbrook would actually go on to hit another go-ahead 3-pointer against the Warriors a few weeks later, so he certainly got his revenge.
1. Klay Thompson: Warriors vs. Pacers (3/4/14)
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx4-HZLs_yk[/embed]
Even though this shot may have not been the most difficult of the bunch, the circumstances made it a little better than the others. The Warriors were on the road against the team with the best record in the NBA who had lost just three home games all season. Maybe it was Klay Thompson's new goatee that gave him a clutch gene to make that shot? If so, he needs to keep growing that thing out!
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