Another loss for Warriors — things are not looking good.
Green-Durant dispute lingers with listless play
HOUSTON — It is impossible to gauge just how much Kevin Durant’s problems with Draymond Green spilled into Golden State’s play Thursday night against the Rockets, but anyone could see that not all is right with the Warriors.
Playing in Houston for the first time since it escaped with a Game 7 win in the Western Conference finals in May, Golden State failed to bring the energy the matchup demanded, slogging to a 107-86 loss at Toyota Center. In the aftermath of their third defeat in five games, the Warriors are trying to fix something bigger than any video study can solve.
“Right now, we’re banged up spiritually,” Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said. “I mean, there’s no getting around that. We’ve got to fill up our cup, get our spirit back, get our energy back, and we’re going to. It’s a long, long season.”
Midway through the third quarter, after he was whistled for a double-dribble, Green sauntered toward Durant under the basket. With a smile, Durant offered a few encouraging words before patting Green on the chest and running back on defense.
This should have been an innocuous interaction, the type of quick exchange expected from
two teammates who have won two NBA titles together. But all is not normal between Durant and Green.
After Green unleashed an expletive-filled tirade Monday on Durant so personal that Golden State suspended him for a game, many thought that the two players’ issues could derail the team’s quest for a third con secutive championship. Speaking to reporters after shootaround Thursday, Green tried to quash that narrative, saying, “If you think you saw something before, good luck with us now. We’re not going to crumble off of an argument. We’re going to move forward.”
The Warriors’ blowout loss to Houston did little to validate Green.
Instead of spreading the floor, moving away from the ball and making the extra pass, Golden State too often succumbed to isolation situations. At no point did it settle into an offensive rhythm. As their misses mounted, the Warriors dug a 97-65 hole early in the fourth quarter.
They missed 14 of their 18 three-point tries and had almost as many turnovers (17) as assists (18). Outside of Durant (20 points), no Golden State player scored more than 12 points.
Green, who is on a minutes restriction as he deals with a nagging toe injury, went scoreless with five turnovers and three fouls in 24 minutes. With Stephen Curry still sidelined by a strained left groin, Klay Thompson wasn’t much of a sidekick to Durant, scoring only 10 points on 5-for-16 shooting (0-for-5 from three).
Asked after the game about his relationship with Green, Durant paused, seemingly to gather his thoughts, before he shot back forcefully, “Don’t ask me about that again.”
“The air might be thick because it’s just happened,” point guard Shaun Livingston said, referencing Green’s heated exchange Monday with Durant. “It’ll continue to thin out, I’m sure. At the end of the day, it is what it is right now.”
Missing from Green’s more than two-minute statement Thursday on his run-in with Durant was an apology or any hint of remorse.
But for those just following the latest developments on Twitter, Green and Durant appeared to have hashed things out. They were photographed walking into shootaround together. With a scrum of Instagrammers and tweeters nearby, Green high-fived Durant after finishing his shooting routine.
What those monitoring it all only on social media didn’t experience, however, was the odd vibe still permeating the team.
Kerr, who addressed his club about the Green-Durant dynamic before shootaround, conceded that his players were “pretty quiet.” Durant appeared unusually sullen. After hardly saying a word to anyone during his post-shootaround routine, he took a courtside seat, put up his hoodie and thumbed through his iPhone.
It was a troubling sight for anyone who knows how sensitive Durant can be at times. With five months until the playoffs, Golden State’s most pressing concern is not recapturing its offensive groove. It’s getting two core players to coexist, on and off the court.
That Curry, who wasn’t in Los Angeles on Monday for Green’s argument with Durant, is on this three-game trip through Texas should help.
Late in Thursday’s loss, Curry stood in front of Green and Durant on the bench as the three All-Stars broke out in laughter. It was a sign of progress on a night filled with more setbacks.
“We’re not panicking or thinking, ‘Oh man, we’re not a great team,’ ” Green said. “We’re still the best team in the league. We’re going to win more games, a bunch of games, go win another championship and we’ll be fine.”
“Right now, we’re banged up spiritually. I mean, there’s no getting around that. We’ve got to ... get our spirit back, get our energy back, and we’re going to.” Steve Kerr, head coach