SAN FRANCISCO — The foundation for a disappointing loss was in place.
Draymond Green was ejected in the final minutes of the second quarter. The Utah Jazz (12-22) led by as much as 12 points in the first half behind Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George. Steph Curry grinded through a slow start from the field.
Then, there was that vintage Curry magic.
The Warriors (19-17) washed away Friday night’s forgettable blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder with a 123-114 win over the Utah Jazz as Curry made six three-pointers and dropped 31 points, 20 of which came in the third quarter.
“It wasn’t me,” said coach Steve Kerr after Golden State won its sixth game in its last eight tries. “It wasn’t my play calls or anything. It’s just Steph. That’s how good he is. Everything felt right in the second half: the spirit, the energy, the level of competitive fight. You’re much more likely to make shots when you have that approach.”
Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green #23 exits the court after being ejected by a referee in the second quarter of their NBA game against the Utah Jazz at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Green only played 12 minutes in his return to action (eight points, three rebounds, two assists) before being thrown out for arguing a foul call. It marked his second ejection in his last eight games, the last being against the Phoenix Suns on Dec. 20.
De’Anthony Melton, who didn’t play on Friday as the Warriors manage his workload in his return from ACL surgery, had an encouraging night from beyond the arc. Melton made three of his six 3-point attempts and finished with 13 points, a much-needed shooting night given he entered play shooting 16.7 percent from distance.
Jimmy Butler (15 points), Quentin Post (15) and Gary Payton II (10) also finished in double figures. For Utah, Markkanen scored a game-high 35 points while George had 22 points and nine assists.
With 2:25 remaining in the second quarter, Green was hit with a technical foul following a dunk by Markkanen, appearing upset that Kyle Filipowski wasn’t called for a three-second violation. Green, as is his wont, continued passionately pleading his case. It’s not uncommon for Green to receive leeway, but he was shortly assessed another technical foul and ejected.
“I don’t know what he said to the ref,” Curry said, “but the consensus in the locker room was it wasn’t enough to get thrown out.”
Golden State Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr gives instruction from the sideline in the fourth quarter of their NBA game against the Utah Jazz at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
“I didn’t hear what he said, but it was a quick one,” Kerr added. “I know got the ‘T’ right away, then Kevin (Cutler) tossed him almost immediately. I don’t know what he said, but I assume it was something that Kevin just wasn’t going to listen to.”
The Warriors trailed by as much as 12 points in the first half and entered the break trailing 65-58 as Markkanen and George combined for 36 first-half points and the Jazz shot 58.7% from the field.
Despite Green’s absence, the Warriors fought their way back into the contest as Curry found his groove, scoring 20 points and draining four 3-pointers in the third. One of those 3s featured a vintage lookaway; another was taken from the logo.
Along with the shots from distance, Curry almost threw down a dunk when Gui Santos found him on a cut. Curry didn’t quite get enough air and laid it in while grazing the rim. At the end of three, a seven-point deficit became a four-point advantage.
Golden State continued to create separation in the fourth quarter, holding a double-digit lead for much of the fourth and cruising to a win, their sixth in their last eight tries.
“When you win, everything is good,” Butler said. “But what I will say, when we weren’t winning all the games like we wanted, we were still together. I think that’s the best thing. Yes, we’re winning now, but through thick, through thin, through the ups and the downs, we were still together.”
Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry #30 is congratulated by his son Canon after their 123-114 NBA over the Utah Jazz at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Gary Payton II #0 takes a shot in the fourth quarter of their NBA game against the Utah Jazz at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry #30 prepares to take a foul shot in the fourth quarter of their NBA game against the Utah Jazz at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Jimmy Butler III #10 shoots past Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen #23 in the fourth quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Jimmy Butler III #10 is fouled by Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen #23 in the fourth quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Utah Jazz’s Cody Williams #5 shoots a basket over Golden State Warriors’ Jimmy Butler III #10 and Quinten Post #21 in the fourth quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Utah Jazz’s Kevin Love #42 and Golden State Warriors’ Jimmy Butler III #10 battle for the ball in the fourth quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Jimmy Butler III #10 shoots a layup as he’s double teamed by Utah Jazz’s Kevin Love #42 and Walter Clayton Jr. #13 in the fourth quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ De’anthony Melton #8 is guarded by Utah Jazz’s Cody Williams #5 in the third quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Utah Jazz’s Keyonte George #3 shoots as he’s guarded by Golden State Warriors’ De’anthony Melton #8 in the fourth quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry #30 reacts after making a basket in the third quarter of their NBA game against the Utah Jazz at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Jimmy Butler III #10 picks up a loose ball in the third quarter of their NBA game against the Utah Jazz at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis #32 shoots a basket past Utah Jazz’s Taylor Hendricks #0 in the third quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry #30 dribbles as he’s double teamed by Utah Jazz’s Kyle Filipowski #22 and Lauri Markkanen #23 in the third quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski #2 drives to the basket past Utah Jazz’s Keyonte George #3 and Kyle Filipowski #22 in the third quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis #32 dunks past Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen #23 in the third quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry #30 falls out of bounds in the third quarter of their NBA game against the Utah Jazz at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski #2 passes in the third quarter of their NBA game against the Utah Jazz at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Gary Payton II #0 dunks past Utah Jazz’s Isaiah Collier #8 in the third quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Utah Jazz’s Kevin Love #42 and Golden State Warriors’ Quinten Post #21 vie for a rebound in the third quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry #30 is double teamed by Utah Jazz’s Keyonte George #3 and Lauri Markkanen #23 in the third quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Jimmy Butler III #10 shoots past Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen #23 in the third quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Jimmy Butler III #10 shoots a layup in the third quarter of their NBA game against the Utah Jazz at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Quinten Post #21 and De’anthony Melton #8 double team Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen #23 as he takes a shot in the second quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry #30 brings the ball down court in the second quarter of their NBA game against the Utah Jazz at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski #2 was called for a foul as he guards Utah Jazz’s Keyonte George #3 in the second quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Gary Payton II #0 dunks past Utah Jazz’s Kevin Love #42 in the second quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green #23 is guarded by Utah Jazz’s Kevin Love #42 in the first quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Quinten Post #21 tries to block a shot by Utah Jazz’s Keyonte George #3 in the first quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Jimmy Butler III #10 shoots past Utah Jazz’s Brice Sensabaugh #28 in the first quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Moses Moody #4 recovers a loose ball against the Utah Jazz in the first quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green #23 shoots a layup in the first quarter of their NBA game against the Utah Jazz at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
D.J. Green, 9, son of Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green #23 photographs his dad warming up before their NBA game against the Utah Jazz at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
D.J. Green, 9, son of Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green #23 photographs his dad warming up before their NBA game against the Utah Jazz at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
D.J. Green, 9, son of Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green, shoots baskets before their NBA game against the Utah Jazz at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
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Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry #30 is congratulated by his son Canon after their 123-114 NBA over the Utah Jazz at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)