Stephen Curry had another unreal night offensively scoring 48 points and hitting twelve three-point shots. Even with such a performance, it was not nearly enough for his Golden State Warriors who failed to ever really course-correct from too many turnovers (18) in the form of 24 points in what ended up being a frustrating loss to the Portland Trail Blazers 136-131.
As the Warriors find themselves back below.500 at 13-14, they had to take care of this game to prove they could take down lesser opponents just through execution and not with Curry carrying them. A performance like that should produce a win for any team, but a total of 18 turnovers is simply untenable.
One of the leading causes of the Warriors’ loss was Draymond Green‘s eight turnovers. While both Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry also recorded three turnovers apiece, the inability of the Warriors to contain Jerami Grant and Shaedon Sharpe, who combined to score 70 points, compounded with all of the lazy plays by several of the Warriors’ key players, made for a very disappointing loss.
Let’s go right into the Warriors player ratings taking into account performance, impact, and sheer responsibility for this result.
Stephen Curry: A+
Game Stats: 48 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST, 3 STL, 1 BLK, 16-26 FG, 12-19 3PT, 4-4 FT, 35 MIN
This was pure Stephen Curry theater. He scorched Portland from every angle, stretched the defense into panic mode, and bent the game to his will for long stretches. The degree of difficulty on his shot-making was absurd, and the efficiency somehow made it even louder. He flipped momentum multiple times almost by himself, especially in the fourth, when it felt like he might just steal the game outright. The loss doesn’t change anything – Curry was far and away the best player on the floor, and the Warriors simply didn’t hold up their end of the bargain.
Brandin Podziemski: B
Game Stats: 12 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 4-7 FG, 3-3 3PT, 1-2 FT, 33 MIN
Podziemski gave the Warriors exactly what they needed behind Curry. He shot the ball confidently, attacked the glass, and kept the offense organized when things started to wobble. Nothing flashy, just solid reads and steady production. His minutes mattered, especially when Curry sat.
Moses Moody: B
Game Stats: 12 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 5-9 FG, 2-6 3PT, 0-0 FT, 23 MIN
Moody has proven himself to be versatile enough to fill whatever role was given to him. He clearly had an impact on the game and finished strong by dunking late in the game to give the crowd a small boost of excitement and energy back into the arena. He possesses a tremendous amount of confidence and has continued this effort at both ends of the floor with great consistency.
Quinten Post: B-
Game Stats: 11 PTS, 1 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 4-9 FG, 3-6 3PT, 0-0 FT, 19 MIN
During stretch minutes for Golden State, Post created good opportunities on the court. As a floor spacer, he hit open threes and moved the basketball decisively by passing the ball when it came his way. He did not exceed his role, and while rebounding was not his forte in this contest, he played sound defense and played within his capabilities.
Trayce Jackson-Davis: B-
Game Stats: 5 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST, 0 STL, 1 BLK, 2-2 FG, 0-0 3PT, 1-2 FT, 16 MIN
Quietly solid. Jackson-Davis was efficient in limited run, protected the rim, and made smart passes when Portland collapsed. He added physicality inside and didn’t waste possessions.
Buddy Hield: B-
Game Stats: 10 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 4-7 FG, 2-5 3PT, 0-0 FT, 16 MIN
Hield showed up on this night to shoot. He was able to stretch Portland’s defense by making the opponent pay for their mistakes and keep Portland’s defense on their toes when Curry received extra attention. The defensive consistency is inconsistent but his perimeter shooting was necessary.
Jimmy Butler III: C+
Game Stats: 16 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL, 0 BLK, 3-11 FG, 0-0 3PT, 10-11 FT, 35 MIN
Butler worked hard throughout the contest to get to the free-throw line. However, he did not do so efficiently. He had several missed layups and finished poorly through contact at the basket. Although he was active defensively and played hard, Golden State needed more consistent offensive production from Butler, especially in such close ballgames.
Draymond Green: C-
Game Stats: 14 PTS, 8 REB, 7 AST, 3 STL, 1 BLK, 5-8 FG, 2-4 3PT, 2-2 FT, 30 MIN
Draymond Green’s stats, on paper, look very solid. He scored 14 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out seven assists to go along with three steals. He shot over 50% from the field as well. However, Green’s eight turnovers knock him down from a B+ rating to an ugly C-. They were that important because it completely halted any momentum the Warriors had.
De’Anthony Melton: D+
Game Stats: 0 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 0-5 FG, 0-3 3PT, 0-0 FT, 19 MIN
A rough night offensively. Melton was active defensively and made a few plays on that end, but missing open shots stalled possessions during critical bench stretches. The impact just wasn’t there.
Pat Spencer: N/A
Game Stats: 2 PTS, 0 REB, 2 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1-3 FG, 0-1 3PT, 0-0 FT, 7 MIN
While Spencer contributed some positive aspects to the game he played, his small amount of time on the court meant that he really didn’t have much of an impact.
Gui Santos: N/A
Game Stats: 1 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0-0 FG, 0-0 3PT, 1-2 FT, 6 MIN
Santos did not get much playing time but he also was not a detriment to the team. He maintained some level of activity & ball movement while still being productive in a limited amount of time.
