With Stephen Curry out with an injury and Draymond Green serving a suspension, the Golden State Warriors have lost five games in a row.
When bad news continues pouring out about the Golden State Warriors, it must be the worst time for supporters since the season started.
The Warriors have lost five in a row after suffering a 109–128 drubbing at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder. This is on top of Draymond Green’s five-game ban and Stephen Curry “carrying” the squad to the point of overload and injury.
Draymond Green and Stephen Curry’s absence created a massive void that the rest of the team was unable to fill. However, head coach Steve Kerr may use this game to implement lineup changes that will make Curry’s comeback easier by allowing him to move into different positions.
When starting trio Chris Paul, Jonathan Kuminga, and Dario Saric all had solid games and scored double digits, the strategy paid off. Chris Paul racked up 15 points and 8 assists, but Kuminga dominated with 21 points (8-13 FG).
Kevon Looney continued to perform admirably while being relegated to the bench. With 13 points (6-9 FG) and 11 rebounds in just 19 minutes of play, he finished with a double-double.
But Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson remain the culpable parties. While Wiggins did manage to score 12 points, he was 0 for 4 from beyond the arc and committed 5 turnovers. Next to him is Klay Thompson, who has played 27 minutes and scored 5 points on 1-10 FG (1-6 3PT).
Since the season began, Thompson’s shooting percentage has been dismal, averaging just 40.1% from the field and 32.9% from beyond the arc, good for 13.8 points per game. All of Klay’s stats are much lower than they were previous season: 21.9 points per game, 43.6% field goal percentage, and 41.2% three-point percentage.
The fans root for the number 11 pitcher to have a big game, especially when a key player is out with the Warriors. However, Klay Thompson has utterly failed to meet the expectations of his supporters up to this point.
When hosting a youthful and exciting club like OKC Thunder, Golden State’s defense was a complete bust. That’s the offense, though. Many times, Thunder’s “gunners” are able to score with ease since Coach Steve Kerr’s kids hardly ever talk to one other or interact.
Throughout the game, Oklahoma City threw in 19 3-pointers, resulting in a 50.6% FG percentage and over 60% 3PT. Thunder had assistance for 31 of his 44 successful shots.
Despite OKC’s 19-31 3PT long throw performance, which was helped along by some good fortune and some mental toughness, a large number of their throws were in the negative.
When Gary Payton II left the game in the second half with an injury, Golden State lost even more players to injury. The Warriors are likely to suffer further player absences after losing Green and Curry. an effective outside linebacker.
Around this time last year, the Warriors of Golden State went on a five-game losing run. This is when Stephen Curry’s 47-point performance helped the Warriors end their losing run and beat the Kings by a razor-thin margin of 116-113.
Unfortunately, the Warriors do not have a “chef” to save them as they endure five straight losses. To salvage the Warriors’ chances, other players will need to step up and make an impression.
Steve Kerr and his team will face the Oklahoma City Thunder again on Sunday morning in their next game.
