What we learned with Steve is that Wiggs contributed to the Warriors' win over the Lakers

What we learned with Steve is that Wiggs contributed to the Warriors' win over the Lakers Originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Stephen Curry reached into his bag of tricks and delivered another memorable performance, scoring 25 of his 32 points in the first half while becoming the first player in franchise history to reach 6,000 assists, helping lead the Warriors to a 128-110 win. against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday at Chase Center.

This was the twenty-third time this season that Curry reached the 30-point mark. Already the best shooter in NBA history, Curry added to his Hall of Fame resume with six 3-pointers to go with eight assists.

Curry also became the eighth player in NBA history with at least 23,000 points and 6,000 assists. He joins an elite list that includes LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Kobe Bryant, James Harden, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and John Havlicek.

Most importantly, Golden State continued its rise in the Western Conference standings. With nine wins in their last 11 games, the Warriors (28-26) move a half-game ahead of the Lakers (30-27) for ninth place.

It helped that the Lakers were without James, who was dealing with ankle soreness.

It doesn't seem to matter much.

Golden State largely controlled the game, taking a small lead in the first quarter and then slowly extending it as the game went on.

Andrew Wiggins scored 20 points, Trayce Jackson-Davis added 17 points and five rebounds, while Draymond Green scored eight points to go with seven rebounds and five assists. Green also had a block and needs two more to become the third Warriors player with 800 or more career blocks.

As a team, Golden State had 32 assists, the seventh straight game in which they had 30 or more dimes in a game, and their longest streak since seven games during the 2017-18 season.

Unlike the previous two games when they had difficulty closing out the game, the Warriors kept their foot on the gas pedal against the Lakers and won comfortably in their first game in a week.

The Warriors won't have much time to enjoy this game as they take on the Charlotte Hornets at Chase Center on Friday, then have a day off on Saturday before hosting the Denver Nuggets on Sunday afternoon.

Here are excerpts from Wednesday's match:

TJD provides a boost off the bench

Jackson-Davis has been playing sparingly over the past four weeks, mainly due to matchup issues. Coach Steve Kerr opted to use him extensively against the Lakers and the Warriors rookie responded with a strong effort.

After holding out for the entire first quarter, Jackson-Davis came off the bench and made an immediate impact, attacking aggressively every time he touched the ball. His first six shots inside the key came near the rim while helping establish Golden State's presence inside.

Dario Saric was getting most of the backup minutes but Kerr opted to use the more versatile and athletic Jackson Davis, who was active almost all night. He shot 8 of 10 from the floor and finished.

The lanky Jackson Davis brought the Chase Center crowd to its feet with two-handed stuff in the fourth quarter.

The Warriors thrive with Green at center, but have some issues when he gets rest. Jackson-Davis has proven he can be a factor when that happens, but he has to do so on a more consistent basis in order to continue to be a big part of the rotation.

becomes green

There's no denying that the Warriors flipped the script this season when Green returned from his second NBA suspension. He has been the team's anchor on defense and is the main reason Golden State has played better in that regard since his return.

Green, who has been one of the team's best three-point shooters since his return, has also been a link to the offense.

Even though he only made five shots, Green kept things going as a facilitator. The game against the Lakers was the 11th time in the last 13 games that Green had five or more assists.

It's no surprise that Green finished as a plus-19. As long as he keeps doing all the little things, it won't really matter how many points he scores.

The Lakers' defense is less than LeBron's

Even with James not playing, the Lakers were able to do plenty of damage, scoring 58 points in the paint, making up 10 of 25 shots from beyond the arc. The Warriors also scored 58 points in the paint.

Taurean Prince, who replaced James, was mostly silent with 12 points and three rebounds.

The Warriors haven't had much success against short-handed teams and things could have turned out differently if James had played. But at this point in the season, Golden State needs everything it can give.

Download and follow Dubs Talk Podcast