Warriors’ self-defeating tendency on display again in loss to Mavs

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Warriors’ self-defeating tendency on display again in loss to Mavs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Fate did the Warriors a favor Wednesday night, and they fumbled it.

And in the process, failed their first test at the intersection of Mediocrity and Breakthrough.

The Warriors rolled into American Airlines Center on Wednesday for a rare “statement” game in February. They were facing the Dallas Mavericks, who were missing five rotation players – and all four of their centers. This was not a so-called must-win, but a nationally televised opportunity to whisper to the rest of the NBA they were beyond the days of exasperation.

It was not to be. The Warriors ate every overcooked morsel of 111-107 defeat that came with the same tone of exasperation that haunted them during their December-January stupor. Back when Stephen Curry was toting a load heavy enough for three – and before the arrival of certified co-closer Jimmy Butler.

“We’ve got to be more physical early in the game,” Gary Payton II told reporters in Dallas after Kyrie Irving scored 11 of his game-high 42 points in a first quarter in which the Mavericks shot 65 percent from the field, including 57.1 percent from deep.

“I just think it took us too long to start playing and really focusing and locking in on executing at both ends,” coach Steve Kerr said. “We messed around with the game for too long and left ourselves vulnerable. And, obviously, they cashed in.”

If these comments sound familiar, it is because they are. Similar statements have been made after the 10 or so maddening losses before Jimmy.

This one represents a particularly ominous setback because the Warriors lost with Butler. Because this had “before Jimmy” vibes even though Butler played 35 minutes and finished with 21 points, a team=-high nine rebounds and seven assists.

This puts a sudden pause to the burgeoning momentum built with Golden State’s successive wins in the wake of Butler’s celebrated arrival and immediate impact.

It will expand from pause to halt if the Warriors can’t recover Thursday in Houston and avoid going into the All-Star break with…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/warriors-self-defeating-tendency-display-073149991.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2025-02-13 07:31:00

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