Warriors’ offense surges in 125-117 win over the Wizards

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Warriors haven’t gotten many breaks this season, but the schedule has provided an opportunity for a beleaguered offense to get a much-needed boost.

Against the league’s worst-rated defense, the Warriors’ last-ranked offense turned in one of their most impressive scoring campaigns of the season, beating the Wizards, 125-117, Monday night at Capital One Arena.

Without guard D’Angelo Russell (right quad contusion), the Warriors (12-39) used a balanced scoring attack as six players scored in double digits and prodded a soft Washington defense for open 3-pointers and drives to the basket.

As a team, Golden State went 15-of-30 from beyond the arc and assisted on 31 of its 43 made field goals.

Having played their last two games against teams with the two worst defensive ratings in the league, Golden State recorded at least 30 assists in back-to-back games for the first time this season.

“I think we’ve been really sharp and moving the ball, sharing it,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “A lot of guys are knocking down 3s. … The game is a lot easier when the ball is in the hoop and we’re not turning it over.”

On the heels of Saturday’s 131-112 win over the Cavaliers, the Warriors’ offense got rolling early, scoring 40 points in the opening quarter and 72 points in the first half.

Forward Glenn Robinson III’s 19-foot jumper, assisted by forward Draymond Green, opened up a 19-point lead — their biggest lead of the game — midway through the third quarter.

At the end of the quarter, center Kevon Looney, in his second game back from an abdominal strain that sidelined him 18-straight games, shut down Wizards guard Bradley Beal to ensure Golden State headed into the final period with a 99-86 lead.

With the Warriors leading comfortably by 12, injured guard Stephen Curry (left hand surgery) took a seat on the bench midway through the fourth quarter. During a break, he bounced in his buttoned-up blazer as The Sugarhill Gang’s “Apache (Jump On It)” played from the arena’s sound system.

The Warriors were seemingly on their way to a second-straight easy win. However, it was the Wizards (17-32) who got the jump on the Warriors in the final period. Beal scored 15 points in the fourth quarter, including a 3-pointer that cut the Warriors’ lead to five with 4:23 remaining.

But guard Alec Burks and Robinson combined to score 11 points in the final 4:05 to halt the Wizards’ comeback and guide the Warriors to their second-straight win before they head to Brooklyn to play the Nets on Wednesday.

“They cut the lead to five and then we were able to get some stops and get some more baskets to secure the win,” Green said. “A month or two ago we would have lost that game.

“We are starting to figure it out. Starting to get better. That was a good win for us.”

Burks paced the Warriors with 30 points on 9-for-17 shooting (5-for-10 from 3-point range), while Robinson had 22 points on 8-for-13 shooting (2-for-4 from 3-point range), six rebounds and seven assists.

Guard Damion Lee chipped in 19 points and rookie forward Eric Paschall added 14, while Green had 12 and center Marquese Chriss had 13.

For the Wizards, Beal finished with 43 points on 15-for-30 shooting (3-for-7 from 3-point range, 10-for-10 from the line) and six assists. Forward Davis Bertans went for 19 points on 6-for-9 shooting (5-for-7 from 3-point range), four rebounds and five assists.

Still, Russell, considered day-to-day, will be missed if he’s out for a prolonged period of time.

For an offense with some momentum, Brooklyn’s defense will present more resistance. On Wednesday, the Warriors will find out if something has clicked on that end, or if the last two games were just a scheduled anomaly.

“Just wanted to play together, play with energy and we were able to pull out two wins to let us get this thing going,” Robinson said. “We are just playing together, trying to have fun.”