Warriors Three-Point Barrage Overwhelms Jazz In Utah Showdown

The Golden State Warriors delivered a statement win on Wednesday night, cruising past the Utah Jazz 140-124 at the Delta Center in a matchup that put the spotlight squarely on both teams’ fortunes this NBA season. For Golden State, it was a showcase of offensive firepower and team balance. For Utah, it was another sobering night of defensive woes—an all-too-familiar theme for Jazz fans in 2026.

Let’s start with the victors. The Warriors, now 27-22 on the year, were playing their third game in as many nights, somehow managing to shake off the fatigue and travel across time zones to put on a shooting clinic. They finished with a blistering 53% from the field and knocked down 23 three-pointers at a 42.6% clip, including a jaw-dropping 15 triples in the first half—their highest mark in any half this season. Nine different Warriors scored at least nine points, with eight hitting double figures. That sort of depth? It’s a coach’s dream and a nightmare for any opponent.

Steph Curry, ever the engine of Golden State’s offense, led all scorers with 27 points. While he had his fair share of turnovers—five, to be exact—he more than made up for it by hitting big shots whenever Utah threatened to close the gap. Curry’s efficiency was on full display: 7-for-14 shooting, including 4-for-10 from deep, and 9-for-10 at the line. According to NBC Sports Bay Area, “Curry had some extremely aggravating turnovers in this game, especially early in the contest. And honestly, he didn’t do much in the game other than score. But my goodness did he score.”

Moses Moody was right there with him, turning in perhaps his best performance of the season. In just 26 minutes, Moody poured in 26 points, grabbed five rebounds, swiped two steals, and shot 9-for-15 from the field (including 5-for-9 from three). His +28 plus/minus led the team. “This was a virtually perfect Moody game,” one analyst remarked. “He was a force to be reckoned with, keeping possessions alive, out-physicaling his opponents, and muscling his way to the rim and to the line.”

The Warriors’ supporting cast was just as impressive. Al Horford, starting at center for just the second time in three games, tallied nine points, a team-high eight assists, five rebounds, and three blocks in 24 minutes. His impact was felt on both ends, and coach Steve Kerr suggested postgame that Horford could remain in the starting lineup, schedule permitting. Brandin Podziemski flirted with a triple-double, posting 11 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, while Gui Santos contributed 16 points, four assists, and two blocks off the bench. Buddy Hield, Will Richard, De’Anthony Melton, Quinten Post, and others all chipped in timely buckets and hustle plays. The Warriors amassed a season-high 38 assists, a testament to their ball movement and unselfish approach.

On the other side, the Utah Jazz’s defensive struggles continued to haunt them. This was the ninth time this season the Jazz have allowed 140 or more points in a game, and they currently rank dead last in the NBA in defense, surrendering 127.5 points per contest. Wednesday’s loss marked their fourth straight defeat, dropping them to 15-33 on the season. It’s been a tough slog, and the numbers don’t lie.

Jazz coach Will Hardy didn’t mince words after the game. “We were steps behind on every action tonight defensively. Their cutting had us spinning like a top the entire game and it resulted in a lot of catch-and-shoot 3s,” Hardy said. “Credit to Golden State, they played with a ton of energy and force. We looked slow, sloppy, run-down. That’s how you get a result like that. So we got to get our energy back, be ready to go Friday.”

Golden State’s off-ball movement and cutting—anchored by Curry’s relentless energy—exposed Utah’s lack of defensive cohesion. “The threat of Steph Curry is something that we all react to. Steph is the greatest shooter of all time, also a pretty outstanding cutter … He finds his way to the basket cutting for layups and just draws so much attention that a lot of times he’s taking two people with him,” Hardy noted. “They do a great job as a group of making quick decisions once they create the rotations defensively.”

Despite the lopsided score, there were a few bright spots for Utah. Brice Sensabaugh led the Jazz with 22 points, marking his seventh 20-plus point outing in January. Lauri Markkanen added 18 points. Sensabaugh’s development as a scorer has been one of the few positives for the Jazz during this rough stretch. “He’s obviously a great, gifted scorer. He can do his thing and I think we’ve been trying to just kind of make the defense (have to) to load up to him with his scoring ability,” Markkanen said. Hardy praised Sensabaugh’s improved shooting and ability to create midrange opportunities, saying, “He’s got a wide array of skills on offense that continue to show up.”

The Jazz did mount a late push, trimming a 17-point deficit to eight late in the third quarter, but a quick 6-0 Warriors run to open the fourth snuffed out any hopes of a comeback. Utah simply couldn’t string together enough stops to make it a game. “We didn’t do a good job of keeping our body between them and the basket. And we weren’t physical enough to try to slow them up and so they had us in rotations, not really because of drives, but because of cuts,” Hardy lamented.

Golden State’s bench also stepped up when it mattered. After the starters built a commanding lead, the reserves weathered a brief Jazz surge and closed out the contest, outscoring Utah 22-17 over the final 7:32. Even with the game getting a bit sloppy—both teams combined for 39 turnovers—the Warriors’ depth and shooting were simply too much for Utah’s porous defense to handle.

Looking ahead, the Jazz will try to regroup as they wrap up their six-game homestand against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday before embarking on a daunting five-game road trip. For the Warriors, the win provides a much-needed boost as the front office navigates the looming trade deadline. With key veterans finding their rhythm and young players like Moody stepping up, Golden State is determined to keep their playoff hopes alive in a tight Western Conference race.

So, as the dust settles on another high-scoring night in Salt Lake City, the Warriors walk away with renewed confidence and the Jazz are left searching for answers on the defensive end. With plenty of season left, both teams have questions to answer—but on this night, Golden State’s balanced attack and Utah’s defensive woes told the story.