A loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night time in entrance of their house devoted was not the best way the Warriors of the Golden State wished to start out their week. After struggling a 10-point loss Saturday in opposition to the San Antonio Spurs, the The Warriors misplaced 128-120 at house to the Nets Monday night time, arguably the workforce’s worst lack of the season. Head coach Steve Kerr noticed his workforce squander an 18-point lead within the second half, and Stephen Curry‘s sensible three-point shot was not sufficient to spark the offense on the finish of the fourth quarter.
The 128 factors allowed by Golden State’s protection had been the second-most factors allowed all 12 months – probably the most in opposition to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a 136-117 loss close to the start of November. That is the primary time this season the Dubs have misplaced consecutive video games. What makes this loss sting, apart from the truth that the Warriors led by 18 factors within the second half, is that Curry solely performed about quarter-hour within the second half and 29 minutes complete within the loss.
Kerr spoke to reporters after the sport and defined his reasoning behind what seemed to be restricted minutes for Curry, merely citing that that is the brand new regular for the 36-year-old, at the same time as Dubs followers scratch their heads.
“We normally pencil it in for 32 [minutes]and we wish to hold it round that quantity,” Kerr stated in his post-match feedback. “We had been in a position to give him a great relaxation within the first half as a result of the second unit was taking part in very nicely. I do not like operating him the entire fourth quarter. I like having him near me with just a little little bit of power, and meaning if we may give him these final eight minutes, normally I really feel fairly good about that.
“However at that time Brooklyn was rolling and we couldn’t gradual them down.”
When Curry left the sport at 4:33 within the third quarter, Golden State held an 86-77 lead over Brooklyn. From then on and Curry returned with 7:30 left within the fourth quarter, the Nets outscored the Warriors 24-11 to take a 101-97 lead. The Nets ran away with the sport from that time on, outscoring the Warriors by a complete of 17 factors within the second half.
Whereas this will appear to be a complicated resolution for Kerr to make relating to Curry’s minutes, particularly with the sport so shut, it is nothing new for the Warriors star.
Warriors restrict Stephen Curry’s minutes
Kerr and your complete teaching employees have been very conscious of Curry’s minutes all through the beginning of the 2024-25 season. This was partly resulting from ankle harm, celebrity goalkeeper solely suffered three video games all 12 monthshowever it’s additionally as a result of the Warriors acknowledge that Curry will not be getting any youthful.
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The workforce desires him to be as contemporary as attainable for large moments throughout video games, one thing Kerr alluded to in his postgame feedback when he defined that he favored Curry to “shut with just a little power.”
Whereas it might appear to be a questionable resolution to restrict Curry to simply 29 minutes in opposition to Brooklyn on Monday night time, which can have factored into the workforce’s loss, it is value mentioning that he solely eclipsed half-hour in seven complete video games this season. Of these seven video games the place Curry performed half-hour or extra, two of them had been NBA Cup video games.
It is clear that Kerr and the Warriors need to carefully handle Curry’s minutes, which is why this resolution was made within the loss to the Nets, a recreation during which Steph dropped 28 factors with eight made triples.
The Warriors will look to get again on monitor of their subsequent recreation Wednesday night time in opposition to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, a battle between the 2 groups with the most effective information within the Western Convention.
