March usually translates to the stretch run of the NBA season, yet in 2020, things are a bit different. The league is on hold until further notice due to the coronavirus pandemic.
When the season resumes, the Golden State Warriors will have 17 games remaining on the schedule. While the NBA is on hiatus, Warriors Wire is digging deep into the Dubs history to highlight standout performances from the past.
Long before Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson dominated the Bay Area basketball world, another dynamic scorer held court at Oracle Arena. In six seasons with Golden State, Jason Richardson averaged 18.3 points per game on 43.3% shooting from the field.
In 2006, “J-Rich” drilled an improbable game-winner that still rolls through Warriors highlight reels to this day.
March 23, 2006
In a struggling season, the Golden State Warriors were on a hot streak heading into a date with the playoff-bound Dallas Mavericks. The Warriors and Mavericks battled throughout in a contest that had 13 lead changes in total.
The game was tied at 107 with 3:24 left in the final period. A run of points from Jason Terry and Dirk Nowitzki stretched the Dallas lead into the final seconds. A missed free-throw with under five seconds from Terry opened the door for the Warriors to take the last shot.
Richardson snatched the defensive rebound and proceeded to streak down the court. Terry tried to stop the fast break, forcing Richardson into a spinning 3-point runner that drove through the bottom of the net as the final horn buzzed.
In a matter of seconds, Golden State’s shooting guard silenced American Airlines Arena with his game-winner. Richardson’s 40 points on 14-of-23 shooting spoiled Nowitzki’s 50 points for the Mavericks.
Watch Richardson’s thrilling game-winner below.
Via @NBCSWarriors on Twitter:
J-Rich hit this legendary game-winner on this day 14 years ago 🔥 pic.twitter.com/k4EQt1NKBk
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 23, 2020
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