The Golden State Warriors have dropped their third straight game, giving up a fourth-quarter lead in a 116-109 loss to the Miami Heat at FTX Arena on Tuesday night.
Despite an improved effort level and a triple-double for superstar Stephen Curry, Golden State were unable to execute at crucial times down the stretch as Jimmy Butler took control over the final two minutes.
The Golden State Warriors have fallen to a 3-5 record, with 20 turnovers the poison in a seven-point loss to the Miami Heat.
The Warriors began the game active defensively, forcing Miami off the three-point line through quick rotations and forcing extra passes. But after taking a 21-13 lead to start the game, the second unit failed to produce the same level of defensive intensity. What resulted was a 20-3 run for the Heat, turning an eight-point deficit into a nine-point lead.
Miami begun implementing a zone defense that discombobulated the Golden State offense for stretches, particular when the Warriors were without the perimeter spacing of Curry and Klay Thompson.
The zone forced others to make quick-fire decisions, and to be fair to Andrew Wiggins specifically, he responded to that challenge with aplomb. The former number one overall pick had a team-high 14 points and five assists in the first half, proving the fuel to a Warriors offense that lifted in the final few minutes.
Wiggins ➡️ Klay
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 2, 2022
📺 @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/2vct1v3cOC
Golden State’s offense came out firing in the third — Curry had his hands on everything offensively, while Thompson begun to find a shooting rhythm scarcely seen through the course of the season. The Warriors made nine of their first 12 shots, dropping 38 third-quarter points to take an eight-point lead into the fourth quarter.
That lead maintained until a fateful two-and-a-half minute stretch midway through the period, with the Heat going on a blistering 10-0 run to regain the lead. The teams went back-and-forth from that stage, before Butler broke the tie with an and-one layup with just under two minutes to play.
Miami’s star was called for a foul on a Curry three-point attempt, but a review overturned the call in a decisive, game-turning decision. The Warriors had their chances over the final plays but were unable to make shots, while Butler sealed the game with a mid-range jumpshot with ten seconds to play.
With Tyler Herro out due to an eye injury in the second half, Miami’s backup guards, Max Strus and Duncan Robinson, proved a thorn in the Warriors hopes to a crucial win. The pair combined for 41 points on 9-for-18 three-point shooting, having averaged just 18 points combined heading into the game.
Curry’s 23 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists was the highlight, but his backcourt teammates in Thompson and Jordan Poole combined for just 10-for-29 on the night. 20 turnovers shattered the Warriors chances, while the Heat made seven extra free-throws in what resulted as the margin in the contest.
The Warriors continue their five-game road-trip with a clash against the Orlando Magic on Thursday — the first night of a back-to-back with a game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.