Warriors depth shows lack of knockout ability without Steph originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – For most of the first half Wednesday night at Chase Center, the distance between the first and second-ranked teams in the NBA’s Western Conference was so great that one couldn’t see the other side. naked eye.
The Warriors, second, deeply compromised without superstar leader Stephen Curry, spent 20 minutes testing their physical limits but without managing to find answers to the problems posed by Oklahoma City, leader of the conference.
It was only in the final four minutes of the half that the Warriors regained their fury. They closed the half with a 12-5 run, and the momentum carried into the third quarter as they outscored the Thunder 20-12 in the first six minutes. They won the quarter by 11, revitalizing the sold-out crowd (18,064) and restoring their confidence.
Defense and high-speed play from the second unit turned a game that wasn’t into one that was — until Golden State’s offensive deficiencies resurfaced late and caused the issue. a 105-101 defeat this fits into the never-welcome issue of “moral victory”.
“We were horrible in the first quarter,” coach Steve Kerr said. “But I loved everything I saw in the last three quarters. Energy, defense, rotations. The guys were flying around with lots of good individual contributions. This is our team. This is what we are.
After being down by 19, the Warriors rode the waves created by Kyle Anderson’s Slow-Mo Euros, Pat Spencer’s cumDraymond Green’s blocks, Brandin Podziemski’s pluck, The outbursts of Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield’s triples.
It was Golden State’s defense that kept the Thunder from pulling away. With OKC shooting 51.1 percent in the first half but limited to 39.5 percent in the second half, there were enough doors, alleys and open routes for the Warriors, with two or three buckets in the end of the course, could have raced towards a surprising victory.
But the efforts and good intentions are no match for a goal drought that lasts more than five minutes. The Warriors’ comeback hopes were dashed when an Anderson layup gave it a 96-93 lead with 5:45 remaining. Hope was dashed when they missed their next 14 shots.
“I didn’t think we made any good decisions in the last five minutes,” Kerr said. “It’s pick-and-roll time late in the game, and with Steph out, it makes things a little trickier for our team.”
The Warriors missed 27 of 46 shots (41.3%) in the paint. They shot 7 of 28 in the fourth quarter, including 4 of 15 in the paint. For a team so reliant on its depth — which is, on paper, a tangible asset — the Warriors looked remarkably unimposing without Curry available to expand the offensive possibilities.
Andrew Wiggins and Kuminga tried to fill the void late in the game, but went a combined 1 of 8 in the fourth quarter. Only Anderson, with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting, was able to muster an effective offense.
The result was a succession of empty possessions, with Green pointing the finger at himself for the offense stalling. Which is valiant but not entirely accurate.
“I just have to settle in and make sure we’re committed to something,” Green said. “Get in a few sets. We were a little scattered, and that’s my fault.
“When the game gets to that point, someone has to slow the game down and put us in a set. I’m the veteran there. I’m the one with the most experience. So, I have to get my head out ass, go get the ball and put us in a set Something that would be beneficial for all of us.”
“Everyone wanted it. JK arrived at the hole; he wanted it. (Wiggins) got into the paint a few times; he wanted it. (Podziemski) did it too. But our spacing wasn’t right, so they were able to collapse on the paint. And we didn’t get the right outs because our spacing wasn’t good because we weren’t punching anything in. It was just guys making plays themselves.
The Thunder (14-4) left town still in first place, while the Warriors (12-6) began the night with their third straight loss and fell to third place, one game behind the Houston Rockets, second.
Curry, sitting with pain in both knees, watched from the bench. Kerr is optimistic about him back on Saturday to face the Suns in Phoenix. But on this night, the absence of the reigning NBA Player of the Year was too much for Golden State’s offense to overcome.
