In an all-too-familiar feeling, the Golden State Warriors are crashing down the Western Conference standings after a red-hot start to the season. Tonight, in perhaps one of their biggest tests of the season so far, the Warriors had a chance to make a statement and see how they stack up against an NBA juggernaut: the Phoenix Suns.
Unfortunately for the Warriors, costly mistakes and poor shooting across the rotation made it impossible for them to recover from a 17-point halftime deficit. A rally in the third quarter helped narrow the gap to 7 down the stretch but it wasn’t enough to give them the push they needed to win the game. The Suns eventually came out victorious (113-105) not without a whole lot of drama in between.
With 27 points, 9 assists, and 3 rebounds on 40% shooting, Devin Boker was the star of the show for the Suns, and he was the x-factor that kept the offense flowing throughout the game. Kevin Durant wasn’t too far behind with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists on 7-20 shooting. Grayson Allen stepped up for the Suns without Beal, scoring 17 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists on 50% shooting.
Meanwhile, for the Warriors, Stephen Curry was the leading scorer with 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists on 38.1% shooting. Andrew Wiggins contributed 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists in 33:33 minutes of play. Draymond Green had 13 points, 7 assists, and 2 rebounds after being trapped and caught for hours.
In a clash of two Western titans, the Phoenix Suns proved themselves superior, and now the Warriors are in full-blown panic mode. As fans try to determine if their start was a fluke, the team will be working tirelessly to address some of the more glaring flaws that were made apparent in the loss tonight.
Stephen Curry Showing His Age
At 36 years old, Stephen Curry is closer to the end than the beginning of his career, and now fans are worrying that it’s finally starting to show. Curry was struggling to find his rhythm all night with a 38.1% shooting percentage.
Statistically, this has been a rough year for Curry. He’s down to 22.4 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game on 47.5% shooting from the field. And while the Warriors had been playing well previously, their current losing streak is threatening to send them right back into the NBA play-in range.
If Steph can’t find his rhythm soon, it could stagnate the entire Warriors offense and make it that much harder for them to snap their current skid. Even at 36, Curry believes he still has plenty left in the tank, and now it’s time for him to deliver.
26 Missed Threes
The Warriors are legendary for their shooting prowess, and they once again rank near the top in three-pointers made. At 37.7%, the Warriors rank 9th in three-point shooting percentage. In this game, however, the Warriors had no heat from the perimeter.
As a team, the Warriors shot just 35% from three (14-40) and were easily outscored by the Suns’ scoring arsenal of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Tyus Jones (19 points, 9 assists on 7-9 shooting). Without their shooting to keep up, the Warriors had nothing to help them stay competitive against one of the most stacked teams in the league.
For a Warriors team that is already thin in the frontcourt, they cannot afford a bad shooting night like today. At the very least, the Warriors need an expert game from Curry to have a chance at winning and without him, the margin for error is just too slim.
Bench Was Outplayed
Steve Kerr has made some adjustments to the rotation this season, namely phasing out guys like Moses Moody in favor of Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield, and Gary Payton II. Unfortunately, nobody was able to thrive off the Warriors’ bench and their inability to keep up might be what cost them the game.
Payton, Hield, and Jonathan Kuminga were all -12 off the bench while Pat Spencer was -7. With so much uncertainty and inconsistency with the supporting cast, it’s no wonder why the Lakers are having to fight so hard just to stay in the top six.
Besides Stephen Curry, the Warriors don’t have any truly reliable scorers, and that’s a serious problem, given that he’s 36 years old. If the Warriors want to gain some upward trajectory and increase their odds in the West, they’ll need to invest in a reliable bench that can step up when Curry has a bad night.
At 12-7 on the season, the Warriors are now 4th in the West behind the Grizzlies, Rockets, and Oklahoma City Thunder. They are .5 games from the 5th seed and just 1 game from the 6th-seeded Nuggets. The recent losing streak has undoubtedly set them back this season but it’s still early enough that they can turn it around.
After tonight’s matchup, the Warriors will have two days off to prepare before a showdown against the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Emirates Cup on Tuesday (December 3rd). Thursday, November 5th, is their match against the Rockets at Chase Center at 10:00 PM EST. It’s part of a back-to-back set, which ends on December 6th against the Timberwolves at 10:00 PM EST at Chase Center.
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