Never quite in total command yet always seeming to dictate the direction of the game, the Warriors labored their way to a 126-118 victory over the Wizards on Thursday at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.
Stephen Curry scored 38 points and Kevin Durant had 21, as the Warriors overcame their own sloppiness to win their ninth consecutive game, the longest win streak in the NBA this season.
The 3-balls weren’t falling (7-of-20), so the Warriors (35-14) carved up the Wizards elsewhere in shooting 56.8 percent.
Here are three takeaways from the first of a three-game swing through the Eastern Conference: