Why Santos’ rise should earn him Warriors playoff rotation spot

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Why Santos’ rise should earn him Warriors playoff rotation spot originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – In a game where Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler combined to score 58 points, Curry reached 25,000 career points and a Draymond Green 3-pointer with 35 seconds left sealed the Warriors’ 115-110 win against the Detroit Pistons, it was Gui Santos who had the two most eye-popping highlights on the night Saturday at Chase Center.

Santos in the third quarter rose for a huge block on Pistons center Jalen Duren, getting teammates and coaches alike up off the bench in admiration. With the Warriors down by one point and a tick under seven minutes remaining in the game, Santos soared on offense.

Reading a misfired 3-point attempt from Curry that bounced off the rim and backboard, Santos positioned himself behind Ausar Thompson, leapt off two feet and with his right hand kissed a putback through the net as he fell to the hardwood. Pounding his chest, walking to the crowd and roaring with pride, Santos met the moment.

Picking between the two highlights, Santos chose the latter.

“I like hyping the fans and everybody,” Santos said. “I think that was the moment the fans were like, ‘OK, we have to help them to win this game.’ They started cheering more, screaming more. It’s very good when you have your fans cheering for you, you’re playing at home and everything is going right for you.

“That one was my favorite tonight.”

However, Santos didn’t realize his block on Duren was the play that led to a Curry 3-pointer pushing him past 25,000 career points. When told in the locker room, Santos smiled and said, “I guess I can say I helped with history, too.”

He has more than helped the Warriors this season, becoming a key contributor that should be a part of the playoff rotation, even when Golden State is at full strength.

His recognition and help defense was perfect to block an athletic, 6-foot-10 Duren. Santos admitted he didn’t fully think he’d be able to block Duren’s dunk attempt, not knowing it was clean until looking up from the floor. The way he timed his jump couldn’t have been…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/why-santos-rise-earn-him-121652759.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2025-03-09 12:16:00

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