Golden State Warriors battle but come up short without key trio

With two-way players and their young core on display, the Golden State Warriors briefly put the Philadelphia 76ers on notice and threatened to cause an upset loss at Wells Fargo Center on Friday.

Instead, the 76ers would extend their three-game home winning streak to four, and the Warriors would come away with a third loss from as many games to start their six-game road trip. Playing without key trio Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green, Golden State outscored Philadelphia 38-33 in the first-quarter as Donte DiVincenzo did his best Curry impression with five threes and 15 points.

The road-weary Golden State Warriors went cold from the field in the final three-quarters, unable to produce enough offense as they fell 118-106 to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The offensive struggles began with the most experienced player left on the floor — Klay Thompson. The 32-year-old went 1-for-6 from the field in the first-half and 4-for-17 overall on the night.

Still, the team from The Bay returned to their locker room holding a two-point lead at a 57-55 advantage. Jordan Poole had also got off to a slow start but kept the visiting Warriors in the game through his distribution as a playmaker. But in the first few minutes of the second-half, Poole hit three triples as the Warriors hung close to reassert a six-point lead after the 76ers had briefly taken their first lead of the game.

But despite Poole’s offense, the closing minutes of the third proved game-decisive as Philadelphia went on a 23-11 run to hold a seven-point advantage. While Golden State continued to battle hard in the fourth, they lacked the class to match Philadelphia duo Joel Embiid and James Harden who combined for 61 points.

The Warriors’ road effort was a case of deja vu in what is now 14 losses away from Chase Center. Foolish untimely fouls repeatedly put the 76ers at the free-throw line — 25-11 the free-throw make advantage.

Turnovers, missed defensive assignments, failure to capitalize on open opportunities, and lack of focus at critical times to close out quarters all contributed to the continuation of the defending champions’ road issues.

Head coach Steve Kerr has lost control of his team, unable to focus the young core or correct the inconsistent play of his veterans aside from Curry. There seems to be no end in sight for the defending champion to turn around 2-14 road record.

Kevon Looney and James Wiseman were brights spots in an otherwise dim Friday. Finishing just one assist short of his first career triple-double, Looney was absolutely brilliant during his 26 minutes on the floor.

Wiseman played brief minutes after Kerr summoned him and Ryan Rollins from their assignments with the Warriors’ G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors. Wiseman showed his time in Santa Cruz was well spent, contesting scoring attempts at the rim, battling on both the offensive and defensive boards, and showing vast improvement playing his part in the Dubs’ version of the Spanish pick-and-roll.

Golden State returns to the road with an appearance at Scotiabank Arena against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday afternoon. They desperately need a win to remain in touch as they’ve fallen to a 14-16 record and 11th in the Western Conference.