Want Warriors news in your inbox? Sign up for the free DubsDaily newsletter.
OAKLAND –– Even if the on-court tension showed otherwise, Kevin Durant insisted any subsequent matchup against Oklahoma City bodes just as much significance as any other game.
For the Warriors, that might not really be a good thing. The buzz increased as the Warriors played a nationally televised game against the Thunder on Tuesday at Oracle Arena instead of a forgettable opponent during the NBA dog days. Yet, the Warriors suffered a 125-105 loss to the Thunder for the same reason as their other two losses in the previous three games against less marquee opponents.
“I was hoping that coming home would help us get some energy and refocus,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “But obviously that wasn’t the case.”
And as a result, the Warriors have fallen to 1-4 this season against the Thunder (0-2) and Houston Rockets (1-2), two teams that could face the Warriors in the postseason. The Warriors (41-13) also only hold a one-game over the Rockets (39-13) as the top team in the Western Conference.
To subscribe to the Planet Dubs podcast, click here.
“Maybe it was complacency. Now we really got something to play for with Houston being tied in the loss column with us,” Warriors guard Klay Thompson said. “We have to take every game very seriously like it’s our last. We still got to play these regular-season games like they mean something. I have the utmost confidence in this team to bounce back.”
The Warriors did not bounce back against the Thunder (31-24). Instead, the Warriors committed countless turnovers because of lazy passes (25 turnovers) that turned into 38 points for Oklahoma City. The Warriors lacked enough of a defensive edge that slowed down the inevitable (Paul George: 38 points; Russell Westbrook: 34 points) and the preventable (54 points in the paint, 12-of-31 from 3-point range). It sounds similar to what happened when the Warriors lost by 30 points last week in Utah and committed 25 turnovers in a loss in Denver.
“I don’t feel like we’re making the extra pass to the open guy so he can move it on and make it an easier play,” Kerr said. “We’re trying too hard almost to make the great play and hit the homerun instead of hitting a single.”
The Warriors did not just strikeout on their ball handling. They struck whiffed elsewhere, too. Some new wrinkles emerged in the Warriors’ latest setback in what marks their worst play since suffering a three-game losing streak in the 2016-17 season. The normally prolific and balanced Warriors offense suddenly disappeared.
Durant posted a team-leading 33 points, while remaining efficient from the field (8-of-14), from 3-point range (3-of-8) and from the free-throw line (14-of-15). As for everyone else? Stephen Curry (21 points) did not shoot efficiently from the field (6-of-14) or from the perimeter (2-of-9). Neither did Thompson (12), who went 5-of-13 from the field and 2-of-6 from 3-point range.
“Kevin’s always going to score. He can roll out of bed and do what he did tonight,” Kerr said. “We just didn’t get the ball movement and we didn’t take care of it.”
Why not?
“A lot of that is on me to try to control the tempo and the playcalling in the moment on the offensive end and continue to be aggressive,” Curry said. “Whether we start off the game hot or not, finding that zone where we’re clicking, I didn’t control that.”
This all happened despite Thunder forward Carmelo Anthony playing six minutes after spraining his right ankle and without Thunder forward Andre Roberson, whom Durant considered “probably the best defender” before suffering a season-ending injury to left patellar tendon in a Jan. 27 game against Detroit. But that did not matter with Westbrook scoring 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting in the first quarter. With the Warriors struggling to guard Russell in pick-and-roll plays, Russell either attacked the basket, nailed bank shots over Thompson or pulled up from behind the arc (2-of-2) when Warriors forward Kevon Looney contested. As Durant summed up afterwards, “that was the game right there in the first quarter.”
“That one was on me. I let him get around too easily,” Thompson said. “That’s not like me. But it happens. He’s a great player and really talented. Next time I see him, I’ll come back and have a better game.”
That moment will only come if the Warriors face the Thunder in the NBA playoffs. As for Tuesday, Curry argued the Warriors still could have had a better game even when accounting for Westbrook’s play.
“That was obviously helpful for them to get a lead. But we can withstand that, especially when one guy dominates the ball and makes plays,” Curry said. “Eventually if we stick with the program and create some resistance for 48 [minutes], we talk about it all the time. We’re good enough, talented and smart enough to withstand individual efforts like that. But you can’t do it with turning the ball over, or without creating any offensive thrust.”
Normally, the Warriors showcase that offensive thrust in the third quarter. But after trailing the Thunder, 70-57, at halftime, the Warriors failed to do so. Green opened the third quarter committing a turnover. Then, Durant clanked a 3-point shot. And eventually, the Warriors only shot 6-of-15 from the field and 2-of-9 from 3-point range while being outrebounded, 13-8.
Such developments should disturb the Warriors far more than the repeated questions Durant fielded before the game about the Thunder more than 17 months after leaving Oklahoma City for Golden State via free agency.
“We need to figure out and get that understanding as we go through the last 30 games or so with what’s going to be expected from every single person when they step foot on the floor form game to game and creating that consistency,” Curry said. “This isn’t different from the last three years. We lost two games in a row and now we’re putting everything under a microscope.”
The Warriors’ tension against the Thunder veered elsewhere.
Green was ejected with 8:13 left in the fourth quarter with a league-leading 13 technicals. after arguing a call and subsequently waved his hand in disgust toward official Lauren Holtkamp. He picked up a technical to close the first half after expressing displeasure over a no call after Thunder forward Jerami Grant elbowed him in the mouth to prompt a bloody lip. Curry nearly threw his mouthpiece over a noncall before restraining himself.
Kerr picked up a technical in the second quarter, before assistant Mike Brown restrained him. Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob threw off his jacket in disgust when Durant was called for a foul in the third quarter after Westbrook tripped over his own feet.
Green declined to comment afterwards, while Curry admitted the Warriors had “a rough night.” And yet…
“They missed some calls. But we were way worse than the officials,” Kerr said. “They were fine. They had nothing to do with it. We got completely outplayed and we were on our heels right at the beginning of the game. That’s on us.”
