Big effort can’t halt loss streak
Before tipoff Thursday night against the Nuggets, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr reminded his team that, to end its seasonworst skid, it needed to overcome a sizable talent deficit with relentless energy.
In its 134131 overtime loss to Denver at Chase Center, Golden State made good on Kerr’s plea, only to stare down its 10th straight defeat. A 19point, thirdquarter lead had given way to familiar mistakes: botched boxouts, slow defensive rotations, silly turnovers.
Because for all their effort, the Warriors couldn’t escape a sobering truth: Their margin for error is slim and, at times, nonexistent without Stephen Curry (left hand surgery) and Klay Thompson (left knee surgery). After fumbling away a
7253 lead, Golden State gave up too many easy looks in the extra period, moving it to 04 in overtime games this season.
Fans began to file toward the exits when Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. made two free throws to put Denver up 130123 with 31.2 seconds left in overtime. In front of thousands of empty seats, the Warriors used a 3pointer from Damion Lee and two foul shots from Draymond Green to get within one with 9.9 seconds remaining.
His team down three, Lee missed what would have been a gametying 3pointer at the buzzer. After three weeks defined by lackluster effort, Golden State had dived for loose balls and fought through screens, reminding their fans that — even in defeat — the Warriors are still capable of the occasional surprise.
A team low on proven scoring options had seven players finish with doubledigit points. Though the Warriors committed 18 turnovers and watched the Nuggets make 17 3pointers, they spread the floor, dished out 36 assists, shot 20for46 from beyond the arc and hit 27 of their 31 foul shots.
Playing a Nuggets team on the rough end of a backtoback set, Golden State ratcheted up the tempo, shut down driving lanes and cruised to a 19point lead late in the first quarter. Denver, second in the Western Conference standings, hardly resembled a title contender as it gave up wideopen 3pointer after wideopen 3pointer.
But while the Nuggets boast one of the deepest rosters in the league, the injurythinned Warriors are a mishmash crew of castoffs and unproven youngsters. As Denver trimmed its deficit to 10098 with 5:16 left, Golden State players slumped their shoulders and barked at the referees, a fartoofamiliar scene for a team accustomed to late collapses.
With the Warriors nursing a threepoint lead with little more than three minutes remaining, guard Alec Burks curled off a screen and hoisted a 3point try from the top of the arc, only for the ball to fall well short of the rim. Little more than a minute later, a bad offensive possession resulted in a shotclock violation.
It was rookie forward Eric Paschall, whose strong start has given way to midseason struggles in recent weeks, who caught a pass from Lee and hit a 3pointer with 16 seconds left to put the Warriors up 113111. After Nuggets center Nikola Jokic tied the score on a layup, Burks missed a 3point try at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.
The Warriors haven’t won since Dec. 27. Though they don’t expect to suddenly vault into playoff contention, they would at least like to improve on the NBA’s worst record and win a game. Their next opportunity comes Saturday against Orlando.