Golden State guard Pat Spencer delivered the best game of his NBA career on Saturday in Cleveland, bolstering his case for a promotion from his two-way contract to the Warriors’ 15-man roster.
The 29-year-old made his first league start with the club shorthanded and logged a plus-nine in 29 minutes as Golden State edged the Cavaliers, 99–94. Spencer finished with a career-high 19 points, a game-best seven assists against one turnover, four rebounds and one steal while shooting 7-for-12 from the floor and 3-for-4 beyond the arc. Twelve of his points came in the fourth quarter, including back-to-back triples after Cleveland cut the margin to five with seven minutes left. He sealed the win with two free throws at the 4.3-second mark before waving goodbye to the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse crowd.
“We’ve seen what a good player he is over the past couple years, but he’s really improved his jump shot,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s never going to be Steph (Curry), but he’s a threat out there.”
Momentum built over prior outings
Spencer entered Saturday riding two strong performances in which he averaged 16.5 points, 5.0 assists (only 1.0 turnover), 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 steal on .591/.750/1.000 shooting in 22.5 minutes per game. The surge followed a viral moment Thursday in Philadelphia when he buried a late three, twice shouting “I’m that motherfer” toward the crowd as the Warriors rallied from 26 down before falling to the 76ers.
A winding path to the NBA
The third-year point guard’s journey is atypical. Spencer was a record-setting lacrosse star at Loyola University Maryland, graduating as the NCAA Division I men’s career assists leader. He then switched sports, spending one season on Northwestern’s basketball team as a graduate student before joining the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz.
Golden State converted his two-way contract to a standard deal late last season for playoff eligibility, then re-signed him to a new two-way pact this fall. With the Warriors’ 15 traditional roster spots filled, elevating Spencer would require a subsequent move, although Kerr acknowledged the possibility if the guard’s current form continues. Two-way players may be active for up to 50 games; Spencer has suited up for all 24 contests of the 2025-26 campaign.
“We’ll take any win we can get right now,” Spencer said after Saturday’s victory. “We’re trying to weather the storm until we get healthy, but yeah, we’re fired up.”
Source: Hoops Rumors
