The Golden State Warriors were absolutely dominated by the Magic’s Nikola Vucevic on Friday night in a game that they needed to win.
While we aren’t in must-win territory yet as the NBA season isn’t even halfway over, the Golden State Warriors really needed to pull out a very winnable game against a depleted Orlando Magic team.
Now, the Magic did have Evan Fournier in the lineup. He’s missed numerous games this season but played and put up 28 on the Warriors. On top of Fournier’s dominance, Nikola Vucevic dropped a 30-point triple-double.
Those two nearly combined for half of the team’s points, and most of the rest were chipped in by shooting guard Terrence Ross who totaled 24 points. The Magic only had one other player reach double figures.
Golden State has typically defeated inferior teams this season, so this loss is a bit extra shocking. While it was on the road, the Warriors were taking on a 12-18 Magic team that has shown several flaws on both sides of the ball.
For Golden State, they were led by their usual cast with Stephen Curry as the team’s leading scoring option. Curry went for 29 points, falling to hit his average of 30. Kelly Oubre Jr. chipped in 26 which is almost double his season average, so seeing him thrive is a positive.
Offensively, the Warriors did their thing, and they played well. It was the defensive end of the court where things started to look rough. Giving up 124 points without overtime against the Magic is not ideal.
It could be a reflection of the level of effort they’ve had to exert lately as well. The Warriors have played tough games against the Heat and Nets in the past week. It’s a bad excuse, but it’s one that makes sense.
That said, the Warriors beat the Magic four games ago. With size, shooting, and skill, the Magic are no joke. After making the playoffs last season, they’ve shown what their roster is capable of, even when injured.
The Warriors just needed to be though. Entering the fourth quarter with the lead after being down figures in that quarter, Golden State was in this game, and it was difficult to see such a talented roster not able to pull it out.
Moving forward, the Warriors have the Hornets today, and given their stint on the East coast without any true big men available, Golden State may continue to struggle as they’ll take on a young and hungry Charlotte roster.
Expect another close-fought game, hopefully, one the Warriors can win in the end this time around.