Talk about closing a victory. After the Jazz stormed the Dubs with a 41-point third quarter, the available veterans of the Warriors stepped up in the fourth period to lead the Dubs to a 123-116 victory over Jazz on Saturday.

Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala each knocked down huge 3 points in the final two minutes, and the Warriors beat Utah 37-25 in the fourth quarter to claim an impressive New Years Eve victory over the team with the third best. NBA record.

Curry led the Dubs with 28 points, Andrew Wiggins came in with 25 points and Otto Porter Jr. did a bit of everything (20 points, eight assists, seven rebounds) as the Dubs improved to 28-7 this season.

After vacation wins in each of their last two road trips, the Dubs will be heading home to host the Heat on Monday.

VETERINARIANS END STRONG
While the Warriors are currently without two franchise veterans, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, the squad veterans who were active in Saturday’s game ended with the game on the line. Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Andre Iguodala and Otto Porter scored 32 of the team’s 37 points in the fourth quarter, including the team’s last 28 points in the final eight minutes of the game.

After Curry tied the game at 101-101 with 6:16 left in the fourth quarter, Wiggins would score the team’s next eight points, and the Warriors never hung around for the rest of the game. Iguodala scored eight of his 12 points in the fourth period, and his dagger with 40 seconds left put the exclamation mark on one of the biggest wins of the season.

UTAH THIRD QUARTER BLITZ
The Warriors came in at halftime with a 14-point advantage, but the Jazz quickly erased that behind a 41-22 third quarter. Utah had four players who would score 20 points in the game – Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, Jordan Clarkson and Bojan Bogdanovic – and the Jazz were leading up to eight points before the Dubs made their run in the fourth quarter.

NIGHT GAME
With the Dubs ahead of two with a minute and a half to go, Otto Porter Jr. passed to Stephen Curry, who cut to the basket. With prominent Utah defensive player Rudy Gobert set to challenge Curry at the edge, the Dubs two-time MVP served Gary Payton II on the three-point line. Curry motioned for Payton to pass the ball to Otto Porter Jr. on the right wing, which he did, and Curry ran around a Payton screen. Porter handed the pass to Curry, who caught the pass and quickly threw a right-wing three. Curry’s sixth 3-point of the game saw the Dubs go up five points with 1:25 to go, and the Jazz were never able to make it a one-possession game after that.

THE CURRY MAKES MORE NBA HISTORY
Another match, another record. This time he beat his own, as Saturday marked Stephen Curry’s 158th straight game with at least one 3-point shot. This streak breaks his own NBA record (157) which he set from November 13, 2014 to November 3, 2016.

WELCOME POOL
The Warriors continue to have several players absent due to NBA health and safety protocols, but they got Jordan Poole back for Saturday’s game. The third-year goaltender had missed the last six games but had 10 points in 17 minutes on the bench, going 3 for 6 from the floor and 1 for 2 on 3 points.

THE STRONG DEPARTURE OF PORTER
Otto Porter Jr. rebounded from a scoreless outing in Tuesday’s home loss to the Nuggets and nearly managed a triple-double. He was particularly active in the first quarter, when he scored or assisted on 10 of the team’s first 11 shots. He had 11 points on a 5-on-6 shot, as well as five assists, in the first quarter, and he finished with season highs in goals (20) and assists (8).

More notables …

• The Warriors improved to 28-7, the best record in the NBA… Golden State has yet to lose two straight games this season.
• Golden State has recorded a season-high 39 assists, two less than the NBA season high of 41 set by Memphis (12/2 v OKC)… The 22 first-half assists were the most important to the Warriors in any midseason this season (previous 21, twice).
• The Warriors improve to 5-16 (.238) on New Years Day, including 4-13 (.235) on the road… The Warriors improve to 36-41 (.468) in their first game of the calendar year, ending a three-game losing streak in the first game of the New Year.
• Tonight’s win ended a four-game losing streak on the road for Golden State in Utah… The Warriors hold a 1-0 lead in their four-game streak with the Jazz… Golden State has won three straight against Utah in total.
• Three Warriors scored at least 20 points in the same contest for the first time since October 26, 2021 in Oklahoma City (Curry, Wiggins, Lee).
• The Warriors have used their eighth single starting lineup of the season and their seventh in the last eight games.
• Golden State has improved to 20-0 this season scoring at least 110 points and 7-0 reaching at least 120 points.
• The Warriors have recorded 10 interceptions, rising to 20-0 when recording more steals than their opponent and 13-0 when recording 10 or more steals this season.
• Golden State shot 53.5% from the field, going 9-0 this season shooting at least 50% from the field.
• Golden State has their best record after 35 games since 2017-18 when they started 28-7.
• The Warriors had a season high with 53.1% of their shots from 3 points (pre .500, 12/6 against ORL).
• Utah scored 41 points in the third quarter, the most points the Warriors have allowed in a quarter this season, surpassing the 40 points the Clippers scored in the second quarter on October 21.
• Stephen Curry scored six 3 points – his 15th best NBA time this season with six or more 3 points in a game, no other player has more than seven of those games – and set a new NBA record for most consecutive games with a 3 points (158 consecutive games), surpassing his previous NBA record of 157.
• Otto Porter Jr.’s five first-quarter assists were the most he has distributed in any quarterback in his career (previously four, three times).
• Andrew Wiggins scored 25 points, his 11th 20-point game of the season.
• Andre Iguodala scored 12 points, a season record.
• Kevon Looney distributed a career-high six assists (previously five, four times).
• Gary Payton He has scored in double digits for the sixth time this season… He made his fifth appearance for the Warriors starting five.