Why Warriors’ first-quarter success could be key to ending slump

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Why Warriors’ first-quarter success could be key to ending slump originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

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DENVER – Warriors coach Steve Kerr, and many others around the NBA, use the 20-game mark as a first true measure stick for their team. The Warriors are one game away from 20, having gone 12-7 in their first 19, but enter Tuesday night’s game against the Nuggets in Denver on a four-game losing streak.

Their four-game losing streak began with a strong start in San Antonio, leading the Spurs by 12 points through the first 12 minutes. The Warriors then faded down the stretch, losing a 17-point third-quarter lead before being outscored by 20 points in the fourth quarter on the first night of a back-to-back. The next game, an eight-point loss to the Brooklyn Nets, again saw a big third-quarter lead (18 points) evaporate in the fourth.

Sure, the age-old adage is “it’s not how you start, but how you finish,” though that loss to the Nets could partly be attributed to the Warriors’ slow start. The Warriors trailed 34-30 to the young, upstart Nets going into the second quarter, and have been behind after the first quarter in each of their past three losses.

Through 19 games, the Warriors have needed to dig out of a first-quarter hole eight times. They’re 3-5 when trailing after the first quarter, 8-1 when holding a lead and 1-1 going into the second all tied up.

“Different every time,” Kerr said Monday after practice at Ball Arena. “I thought our early-season slow starts were lineup related. I think some of our slow starts since have been offensive execution or shots just not going in. There have been games like Oklahoma City where we gave up 39, last game 35, so every game is different.

“You just have to find a level of consistency starting off games, and that means two-way basketball.”

Between the Spurs, Nets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Phoenix Suns, the opposition has shot 47 percent in the first quarter over the past four…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-warriors-first-quarter-success-192658635.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-12-03 19:26:00

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