Stephen Curry’s brilliant performance couldn’t prevent the Golden State Warriors from succumbing to their ninth consecutive road loss. The Warriors fell to the LA Clippers by a score of 134-126 despite Curry scoring 50 points on 20-of-28 shooting. This was the second 50-point game of the season for the two-time MVP, but both have ended in defeat. Before this season, the Warriors had won eight out of ten games in which Curry had scored 50 or more points.
Curry’s third-quarter outburst was particularly impressive, as he scored 21 points, taking his career tally of 20-point quarters to 39, the highest in the last 25 seasons. Despite his remarkable effort, the Warriors failed to take advantage, leaving Curry looking dejected and frustrated.
Draymond Green, one of Curry’s key teammates, lamented the team’s failure to capitalize on Curry’s outstanding performance. “It sucks,” he said. “You just sit and think about what more could I have done to help him? When you get a guy going off like that, you need to find a way to capitalize on it. We didn’t do that.”
Golden State coach Steve Kerr chose to look at the positives, praising his team’s performance and arguing that the Clippers had just played better. The Warriors have shown signs of improvement, which Kerr believes is cause for optimism. However, the players themselves are keen to see results, and the frustration is mounting as they continue to struggle on the road.
The Warriors’ record of 7-27 on the road is the most road losses by a defending champion in NBA history. They have allowed an average of 124.1 points per game on the road, compared to 111.7 points per game at home, the largest difference for any team in a season since the Indianapolis Olympians in 1951-52. These stats highlight the extent of the Warriors’ problems away from home and the challenge they face in turning their form around.
Curry identified two key issues that need to be addressed: fouling too much and allowing the Clippers to grab too many offensive rebounds. These are problems that have plagued the team throughout the season, and if they are not resolved, the Warriors’ struggles on the road are likely to continue.
Despite their difficulties, the Warriors remain a talented team with the ability to compete at the highest level. They have a deep roster of experienced players, and with the right adjustments, they could still turn their season around. The challenge for Kerr and his coaching staff will be to identify the issues and implement the changes necessary to get the Warriors back on track.
Why haven’t the Warriors been able to fix them?
Curry acknowledged that the team was facing a challenging question and doing their best to address it by being mindful, focused, and putting in effort. However, the consequences of not solving the problem were clear – losing. Until they run out of games, they will keep trying.
The Warriors’ home and road split was referred to as “the ultimate tease” by Curry, as they seemed to be able to beat almost anyone at home but struggle once they left the Chase Center. Despite their confidence in their ability to solve problems and beat anyone, doubts about their ability to do so have grown as time runs out.
Curry maintained his level of confidence, but the Warriors face a tough challenge with their next four games, including seven of their final 12 regular-season games, being on the road. Adding to their difficulties, they are likely to have only nine players available for Friday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks due to injuries and player ineligibility. Green’s recent technical foul, which could result in a one-game suspension, further compounds the team’s challenges.
Kerr praised Green’s ability to push himself to the edge without going over it, but acknowledged the importance of having him available and avoiding any further technical fouls. The NBA has the option to rescind Green’s latest technical foul, but Green expressed his expectation that a change would be made as he believed it was unjustified.
