JTA shares great perspective after Warriors’ win vs. 76ers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Nobody knows what it takes to fight and claw your way to playing in the NBA like Juan Toscano-Anderson, and in the Warriors‘ 116-96 comeback win Wednesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, he showed exactly why he’s here to stay.
“It’s a skill, man,” Toscano-Anderson said after the win to former Warriors center and current NBC Sports Bay Area analyst Festus Ezeli when asked about bringing energy to games. “And you know what? That’s where my value is, and that’s what going to keep me in this league, man. I get to wake up every day and play in the NBA.
“So, if that’s what it’s going to take to keep me here, man, you’d better believe I’m going to play hard every chance I can.”
For the early part of the game, the Warriors found themselves in a major hole against the Sixers. And then, the Warriors’ third-quarter barrage continued, outscoring Philadelphia 34-23. Really, though, it was Toscano-Anderson’s spark and dominant defense that sealed the deal. Golden State scored 30 points in the fourth quarter, and the 76ers scored just 12.
Toscano-Anderson played the entire fourth quarter and scored nine of his 13 points in the final frame. He was a plus-18 for the quarter in plus-minus while going a perfect 4-for-4 from the field, and also added four assists and two rebounds for the quarter.
He also brought the Chase Center crowd to its feet with this putback dunk.
Toscano-Anderson finished the night with 13 points, six rebounds, six assists, one steal and two blocks. He was plus-21 for the night and made all six of his shot attempts.
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It was just a few days ago that Toscano-Anderso admitted that being out of the rotation at times has been tough on him. But he has continued to stay ready, and in the Warriors’ last four games — all wins — JTA has averaged 6.0 points, 5.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds, and has been a plus-10.5 over that stretch. That’s a winner, willing to do whatever it takes.
Minutes might not always be easy to come by for the Oakland native, but the Bay Area’s own always will be ready to make an impact for the team he grew up rooting for.