‘He kind of set the tone for us’: Former Villanova star Donte DiVincenzo returns to Philly in a big way vs. the Sixers

When the Golden State Warriors stepped onto the Wells Fargo Center court for Friday’s shootaround, Donte DiVincenzo directed his teammates’ eyes up to the 2016 and 2018 Villanova national championship banners hanging in the rafters.

It’s become a ritual during every return to Philly as a professional, first with the Milwaukee Bucks and now in his first season with the Warriors. A few hours later, DiVincenzo received a far warmer reception than the vast majority of 76ers opponents. Identifiable cheers permeated the crowd when public-address announcer Matt Cord introduced DiVincenzo as an alumnus of Villanova and Wilmington’s Salesianum High School as part of the Warriors’ starting lineup.

DiVincenzo delivered a memorable performance for those supporters. With All-Stars Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins out with injuries, DiVincenzo set season highs with 17 points and 10 rebounds and added six assists in a 118-106 loss to the Sixers. The outing was the first in a key stretch for the fifth-year guard and his Golden State team, who must now navigate the next few weeks without Curry.

“He did his usual great job bringing energy and life to the game,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. " … I just feel like Donte’s really comfortable now, and it’s great to see. I love how hard he plays. I love the passion with which he plays.

“The guys really love playing with him, so he’s really been a fantastic addition.”

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DiVincenzo went a blistering 4-of-4 from three-point range in the game’s first six minutes, finding open looks in the corner, from the wing, and at the top as the Warriors built a double-digit lead. He hit another trey before the end of the opening period to finish with 15 points, the most he has scored in a quarter during his NBA career.

“To be honest, I’m not worried about makes and misses,” DiVincenzo said. “If I’m open, I’m taking them. Just trying to be aggressive in the flow of the offense. Luckily, in the first half, they were going in. I’m just playing basketball. I’m not thinking if I need to get five threes tonight because I’m back home. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, [I can] still defend, rebound, and move the ball.”

Added teammate Kevon Looney: “He kind of set the tone for us. We kind of followed his lead to start the game off.”

Later on, DiVincenzo grabbed a jump ball and swiftly finished at the basket. He floated a lob pass to James Wiseman for a highlight-worthy alley-oop dunk that cut the Sixers’ lead to 98-90 with less than eight minutes remaining. DiVincenzo then took a rebound and quickly dished the pass to Jordan Poole for the fast-break layup to get Golden State within seven points with less than five minutes to play.

Friday’s effort was part of a recent reunion tour of sorts for DiVincenzo, who set his previous season high in points (16) during a loss in Milwaukee earlier this week and scored another 15 in Wednesday’s loss in Indiana.

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This stretch arrived after a difficult couple seasons of injury recovery, being traded midseason and navigating free agency for the first time.

After winning those two titles at Villanova — including as the 2018 Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player — DiVincenzo was drafted 17th overall by the Bucks and blossomed into a valuable role player because of his outside shooting and high-energy style. But he tore a ligament in his ankle during the first round of the 2021 playoffs, keeping him off the floor as the Bucks clinched their NBA championship before undergoing surgery.

DiVincenzo returned to play last Christmas, but never quite regained his previous form before Milwaukee sent him to the Sacramento Kings at the trade deadline. He then signed a two-year, $9.3 million contract with Golden State, a team aiming to replace the departed Gary Payton II and Otto Porter following their 2022 title run.

Following nearly four seasons in the Bucks’ system — in particular, playing with long big men in two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez — it has taken time for DiVincenzo to get acclimated to the Warriors’ terminology and tendencies. He called a Dec. 10 win against the Boston Celtics a personal confidence-booster because he made strides in defensive communication even though he only attempted three shots.

“I have good plays. I have bad plays,” DiVincenzo told The Inquirer. “But as long as I can just keep building off of them, I hope to be here for a long time and get really, really comfortable with these guys.”

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Now, DiVincenzo and the 14-16 Warriors must work to stabilize their season without the MVP-caliber play of Curry.

DiVincenzo wants to improve his shooting efficiency, which sat at 38.7% from the field and 37.3% from beyond the arc even after Friday’s outburst. He also hopes to take some ballhandling pressure off Poole, who will likely need to increase his scoring even more. DiVincenzo already feels a bond with Curry, calling him an “amazing leader [and] an amazing person.” On one of DiVincenzo’s early three-pointers, Curry stood from his seat and raised both arms into the air.

“It really helps knowing that I have his support on the bench,” DiVincenzo said of Curry. “Even when I make mistakes, he’ll talk me through it. But he also knows I’m very hard on myself, so he builds me up.”

Friday’s performance came in front of “too many” family and friends, DiVincenzo said with a smile, including an uncle, aunt, and cousins he had not seen in a while. As he walked through a hallway back to the Warriors’ locker room, a young boy stopped him for a selfie and autograph.

That capped a memorable return to DiVencenzo’s former home, where his title banners still hang in the rafters.

“I wish we would have come out with the win,” DiVincenzo said. “But it was super cool to play here.”