Coach Kerr’s Warriors fall at home to Hornets
Over the past three weeks, as the Warriors piled up wins in Stephen Curry’s absence, some were left to wonder: Do the defending NBA champions
really need Curry to reach their goals?
Anyone still questioning the two-time MVP’s value only had to watch Golden State’s 111-100 loss Friday night to Charlotte at Oracle Arena. In what could be their final game without Curry, the Warriors labored in crunch time, surrendering a 14-2, fourth-quarter run to seal their fate.
It was only the second time in the 11 games since Curry sprained his right ankle that Golden State has lost. Unlike many of their recent outings, when they rode stingy defense to convincing wins, the Warriors made 32-year-old Dwight Howard (29 points on 10-for-15 shooting, 12 rebounds, seven assists) resemble the dominant force from a half-decade ago. The Hornets scored 32 points off 18 Golden State turnovers.
“I felt like we really only made one stand, and that was the last few minutes in the second quarter,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “They took it to us. … They totally outplayed us.”
In the third quarter, a period
often marked by their signature game-changing blitzes, the Warriors were outscored as they missed 15 shots. Golden State was within 84-81 early in the fourth, only to be undone by repeated miscues.
Midway through the period, Hornets guard Jeremy Lamb picked off an Andre Iguodala pass before driving for an uncontested dunk. It was moments later that Charlotte forward Frank Kaminsky drilled a wide-open three-pointer. By the time Kemba Walker hit a threepointer to push the Hornets’ lead to 98-83 with 4:53 left, blueand-gold-clad fans were filing toward the exits to beat the traffic home.
It all overshadowed solid contributions from Kevin Durant (27 points, six assists), Klay Thompson (24 points) and Draymond Green (eight points, career-high-tying 16 assists). Those who wondered whether Golden State needs Curry might be looking forward to his return.
Barring an unexpected setback, he should be available for Saturday evening’s game against Memphis. His fresh legs could provide a jolt to a team that is polishing off a home back-to-back before hitting the road for a three-game trip.
“We’ve been missing him,” Durant said. “We’re going to definitely be a different team when he comes back.”
Before video review earlier this week, Kerr showed his club a slide with a rundown of its numbers since Curry got injured Dec. 4 in New Orleans. A group that struggled to stop opponents at the start of the season boasted the league’s highest defensive rating (97.7) as it went 9-1 in the 10 games Curry had missed.
The message was clear: To weather the final stretch of Curry’s first extended regularseason absence in five years, the Warriors needed only to continue bringing the energy on defense. Such messages are sometimes forgotten, however, when Golden State faces a struggling team.
Charlotte arrived at Oracle Arena having lost 13 of its previous 17 games, which put it at 12-22 — six games out of the Eastern Conference’s playoff picture. The Hornets’ 43.6 team shooting percentage was second-to-last in the NBA.
Three weeks after holding the Hornets to 87 points on 35.1 percent shooting without Curry and Green, the Warriors deviated from their switch-heavy defensive blueprint. Charlotte unleashed a 27-15 rally after digging an early nine-point deficit to enter the second quarter up 32-29.
The sloppy play that dogged Golden State earlier in the season resurfaced. One of the league’s most mild-mannered All-Stars, Thompson shouted expletives after he was called for a foul late in the second quarter. Little more than a minute later, after a pass intended for Durant careened out of bounds, rookie Jordan Bell shook his head as he trotted back on defense.
Curry watched it all in street clothes. Odds are that in that fourth quarter, when his teammates missed a litany of crucial shots, he wished he could put on his uniform and make his return.
“There’s never a perfect time for Steph to come back, because he’s always needed,” center Zaza Pachulia said. “We’re excited. … We’re looking forward to getting the motor going again. With him missing 11 games, we just didn’t feel the same.”