Golden State Warriors bench failed them in loss to Sixers

The Golden State Warriors kicked off their road trip on the East Coast with a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. They’re now 21-5, and despite it just being their fifth loss, it felt like a game they should’ve come out on top in.

There was a myriad of reasons why the Warriors allowed a massive second-half comeback. However, the inability of the bench to consistently score will go down as one of the bigger issues they faced in this game.

The Golden State Warriors lost to the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center, and in a rare occurrence, the Warriors bench was drastically outscored.

While two-time MVP Stephen Curry was heavily limited, it would’ve been a far closer game had the bench done what it typically does. The Warriors bench, on the season, averages the 12th-most points per game and the 3rd-best shooting percentage, just under 48% from the field.

On Saturday, they totaled 16 points, less than half of their normal amount. The more disappointing factor was their efficiency.

To highlight the struggles, Otto Porter Jr. was 2-for-9 from the field. Andre Iguodala ended 1-for-5 from the field. The two combined to go just 1-for-10 from deep. As a unit, the Warriors bench was just 7-for-27 from the field, just over 25%.

In the second half of the third quarter, Golden State watched their 13-point lead dwindle down to just 3. Again, Curry’s struggles didn’t make matters much easier, but Porter Jr. needs to make open threes.

Porter Jr. and Juan Toscano-Anderson were liabilities for the team at times down the final stretch. Joel Embiid‘s late And-1 on JTA was a crucial point in the game, putting any chance of victory almost out of reach.

The Warriors being the Warriors looked to make a comeback but did fall short eventually. Moving forward, they’ll be fine as the Sixers are one of the most complete teams in the NBA, but this inability for their bench to contribute in a big-time game is concerning, to say the least.

With James Wiseman and Klay Thompson both having a return on the horizon, there really shouldn’t be anything to truly worry about for Golden State.