Warriors’ bravado from OKC win disappears in let-down loss to Suns

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Warriors’ bravado from OKC win disappears in let-down loss to Suns originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – In two games transpiring over 50 hours ending around 9:30 Friday night, the Warriors presented a perfect microcosm of their beleaguered 2024-25 NBA season.

Bullies on Wednesday, beating an Oklahoma City Thunder team that came to town with the best record in the NBA.
Bullied on Friday, thrashed by the ninth-place Phoenix Suns.

Golden State’s 130-105 loss to the Suns crushed spirits throughout the sellout crowd, nudged general manager Mike Dunleavy a few inches closer to the edge of his seat and practically mocked the encouraging tone of some of coach Steve Kerr’s pregame comments.

“Very disappointing,” Kerr said afterward. “We were hoping to follow up on the effort the other night. It wasn’t there for us. Give Phoenix the credit. They played a great game. We’ve got to keep battling. We’ve got bounce back on Monday and carry on.”

With an opportunity to snag their first three-game win streak since mid-November, the Warriors responded with a litany of their worst traits, the most destructive being puzzling decisions on offense and providing the Suns with all-expenses-paid trips to the hoop on defense.

What happened to all the eye-of-the-tiger bravado, particularly on defense, that was so visible on Wednesday?

“It was there early,” Kerr said. “We actually played a decent first quarter. Our defense wasn’t great, but we moved the ball and had some good possessions. We were right there. And in the second quarter, the game got away from us. I thought our shoulders sagged a little bit.

“This league, the way people play now, with the 3-point line, with the pace, games can get away from you in a hurry. That’s what happened tonight, I thought, and it may have caused us to lose a little confidence.”

The Warriors were outscored 68-54 in the middle quarters. The Suns shot 56.2 percent from the field, including 48.7 percent beyond the arc, repeatedly manipulating Golden State’s defense for open 3-points shots from all angles. Their top scorers – Durant, Devin Booker and…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/warriors-bravado-okc-win-disappears-234155972.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2025-01-31 23:41:00

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