Golden State Warriors left to rue ice-cold period in Cleveland

The Golden State Warriors have suffered their second loss of the season, falling to a 115-104 defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers that snaps their five-game winning streak.

The visitors were left to rue an ice-cold second-quarter where they went 5-27 shooting from the floor for 15 points. The Cavaliers won the period by 13, ultimately proving the difference in what was an otherwise close battle across the remaining three quarters.

The Golden State Warriors 16-straight victories over the Cleveland Cavaliers has been broken at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Sunday.

The Warriors shooting was efficient enough in the first-quarter, but their six turnovers and 6-11 from the free-throw line held them back from a more dominant opening. That was still enough to give them a one-point lead, before the abysmal second period that was nothing short of a rough watch for Golden State fans.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 24 points in the first-half, but the Cavaliers defense was dominant on the interior and tired Golden State legs were apparent with a plethora of mid-range jumpshots left short on the front of the rim.

The Warriors battled hard in the second-half, fighting within two possessions on multiple occasions but never quite rising over the hurdle. The game became a balance between player management and trying to win for Steve Kerr ahead of tomorrow’s matchup in Detroit. That saw rookies Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis, recalled from Santa Cruz on Sunday, take to the floor for minutes in the second-half.

Golden State’s younger players were impressive at times in the final two periods, offering some optimism in a game where they never really had it going. Jackson-Davis had five points, four rebounds, a steal and a block in just under 12 minutes, while Jonathan Kuminga kept the game alive during the fourth with 12 points in the period.

The starters returned but only for Cleveland to run their lead back up to 14, with Kerr calling it quits with two and a half minutes remaining. Curry finished with 28 points on 7-11 from three, while Draymond Green stuffed the stat sheet with 18 points, three rebounds, eight assists, three steals and a block.

The Warriors shot just 35.8% from the floor, coincidentally the same percentage as their season-opening loss to the Phoenix Suns where they also tallied 104 points. The Cavaliers shot just under 50% from the field, with Golden State’s 10 missed free-throws also proving crucial in the 11-point loss.

Golden State now head to Detroit to see the Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on the second night of a back-to-back. Monty Williams’ men had their own 14-point loss to the Suns earlier on Sunday, pushing them to 2-5 on the season.