On Monday night at the Moda Center, the Golden State Warriors’ 2021-22 campaign got officially underway with their preseason opener against Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers.
Shortly after the opening whistle, it didn’t take long for potential breakout candidate Jordan Poole to get going. With the chance to start alongside Steph Curry, the third-year guard didn’t mess around. In the first four minutes, Poole launched four triples, drilling two from beyond the arc.
In only three-quarters of action, Poole led the game in scoring, tallying 30 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the floor. The Michigan product caught fire from deep, hitting seven triples on 13 attempts from deep.
With Poole heating up and 13 points each from Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors went on to cruise to a 121-107 victory over the Trail Blazers to start the preseason.
Here are three other things to know from Monday’s contest:
Otto Porter Jr.
With Poole in the starting lineup, the Warriors will need someone to provide a scoring boost off the bench. On Monday, newly signed veteran wing Otto Porter Jr. answered the bell.
Porter Jr. tallied 19 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the floor with four rebounds and two steals in 18 minutes off the bench. Porter Jr. drilled four 3-pointers on seven attempts from deep.
Letting it fly
Against the Trail Blazers, the Warriors didn’t fear the 3-point line. Steve Kerr’s offense jacked 69 3-pointers on Monday night, hitting 24 from downtown.
Poole led the way with seven makes; Porter Jr. followed with four. Curry and Mychal Mulder each buried three 3-pointers. Andrew Wiggins, Nemanja Bjelica, Avery Bradley, Damion Lee and Draymond Green each added triples during the contest.
Rookie debuts
Monday night served as the preseason debuts for new draft picks Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. However, it was a quiet night for the rookie pairing.
Kuminga recorded 11 minutes off the bench, notching five points, two rebounds and a steal. Moody went scoreless in nine minutes, recording two rebounds and two assists.
The rookie tandem will get the chance for more playing time on Wednesday in front of Golden State’s home fans at Chase Center when the Denver Nuggets come to the Bay Area for another preseason contest.
This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook!