The Golden State Warriors almost avoided loss against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night. They scored their 40th win of the season, 117-113. The Warriors are now 40-34, two games ahead of the Rockets for the 10th seed in the Western Conference.

The Dubs delivered a lackluster performance against one of the league’s poorest clubs. The Spurs went up by 13 points in the first quarter and led for the entirety of the first half, going in ahead 60-52.

Spurs youngster Victor Wembanyama appeared to have a chip on his shoulder throughout the game, demonstrating his potential to be the league’s face. Wembanyama finished the game with 32 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, and three blocks. No other San Antonio player scored more than 18 points, but five of Wembanyama’s teammates reached double figures.

The Warriors, on the other hand, relied on their two most seasoned franchise players. Steph Curry led the way with 33 points on 12-for-23 shooting from the field and 8 assists, while Draymond Green easily had his most productive all-around performance this season. Green finished 8-for-9 from the field with 21 points, 6 rebounds, 11 assists, and 6 steals.

Warriors rookie Brandin Podziemski, who was recently demoted to the bench for Klay Thompson, delivered a performance reminiscent of his great start to the season. Podz was far from transcendent, but he had a significant impact on the game during his 24 minutes of play, tallying 12 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals.

Golden State took control of the game with an electric third quarter and never trailed thereafter. They increased their lead to 13 points early in the fourth quarter, but were unable to put San Antonio away until the very end.

The Dubs led 113-102 with 2:12 left in regulation, but a 9-0 run (6 points by Wembanyama) over the following 75 seconds cut the advantage to two points in the final minute. Thompson hit a three with 39 seconds left to give the Warriors a five-point lead, giving them the breathing room they needed to seal the victory.

The Warriors will return home to the Bay Area. They will host the Mavericks at Chase Center on Tuesday. The opening tip is slated for 7:00 PM Pacific.