Warriors prove most dangerous enemy is themselves in loss to Nuggets – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

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SAN FRANCISCO – In the wake of the most disappointing loss as a member of the Warriors, Jimmy Butler III divulged what haunted him but didn’t cast blame and point fingers over what taunted him most. He didn’t have to.

The box score provided all necessary explanation. Faced with a prime opportunity to create space for themselves in the crowded Western Conference playoff race, the Warriors gave it away, donating 24 unearned points.

The Denver Nuggets took the gifts and ran out of Chase Center with a 114-105 victory even they could not have expected insofar as they were without three starters, including three-time MVP Nikola Jokić and his most productive sidekick Jamal Murray.

“All I asked of our guys, going into it, I said, ‘Just compete. Have each other’s backs, just compete,’” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “And did they do that at such a high level.”

Denver outcompeted the sixth-place Warriors, who blew a chance to pull within 2.5 games of the third-place Nuggets but instead are now 4.5 games to the rear.

Being outhustled in defeat bothered every member of the Warriors, players and coaches, as it should. Butler, however, zeroed in one of his pet peeves. One he shares with Golden State coach Steve Kerr.

“Our care for the basketball,” Butler said. “We turned it over way too much. We were very loose with the basketball, careless with it. Got them into the open floor, and they saw the ball go in early and it never stopped.”

Denver’s B team, led by veterans Aaron Gordon (game-high 38 points) and Russell Westbrook (a 12-points, 16-assists, 12-rebounds triple-double), made a mockery of the Warriors’ lax defense, which too often was compromised by live-ball turnovers.

“It hurts me,” said Butler, who had two turnovers in 33 minutes. “I ain’t going to lie to you. I hate turning ball over. I hate when we turn the ball over. We’ve just got to be better at that. If we get shots on goal, we’re a very hard team to beat.

“But you ain’t going to beat many people in this league, no matter who’s on the floor, with 20 turnovers.”

The Warriors are 0-5…

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Publish date : 2025-03-18 07:33:00

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