The Golden State Warriors entered last week fresh off two encouraging performances in Houston and Oklahoma City, but injuries along with iffy gameplans derailed that momentum.
The Warriors opened the week in Utah with an undermanned group, something that shouldn't have mattered given the Jazz's position and ambitions. On Tuesday, Golden State got Kristaps Porzingis back, but a very vulnerable defense sunk them against the Bulls.
After two tough-to-swallow losses against two tankings teams, the Warriors looked to bounce back at home against the Timberwolves. But things didn't go as planned, with the list of injured players growing even bigger by halftime. And despite a noteworthy second-half comeback attempt, the Warriors fell short again.
With the week seemingly unraveling by the day, the low point health-wise came in New York on Sunday night. The Warriors took on an intact Knicks teams with just ten available players, including three two-way players and Omer Yurtseven, whom they signed to a 10-day contract over the weekend.
119-116 loss to the Utah Jazz
What worked
The story of the game was Seth Curry’s return after being sidelined for more than three months with sciatic nerve issues. In his first game back, he scored 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting in just 12 minutes.
Draymond Green’s playmaking was on full display in Utah, as the veteran dished out 11 assists without committing a single turnover — just his second turnover-free game of the season.
The Warriors needed a boost from their second unit, and two-way players LJ Cryer and Nate Williams delivered. Cryer finished with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists, along with a team-best plus-8 in 17 minutes. Williams added 12 points and four rebounds in just 13 minutes, in addition to making an impact with his length on the defensive side.
What didn't
Two things stood out: shot selection and free-throw shooting. Utah entered the game with the league’s worst defense and a paper-thin frontcourt, with Jusuf Nurkic, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Walker Kessler all sidelined by injuries. The game plan seemed pretty straightforward: attack the paint and get to the line. But the Warriors chose otherwise, with 52 of their 99 shot attempts (52.5%) coming from beyond the arc. They made just 16 of them (30.7%).
On the flip side, Golden State got to the line at a better-than-average rate. The Warriors, who rank last in free-throw attempts per game (15.8) since Stephen Curry’s injury, attempted 21 against the Jazz. The problem? They made just 14 of them (66.7%). And in the fourth quarter, with the game virtually on the line, they shot just 7-of-13 (53.8%) from the stripe (Podziemski went 0-for-4). Utah, meanwhile, went 27-of-29 from the line (93.1%).
130-124 loss to the Chicago Bulls
What worked
Kristaps Porzingis returned after missing the Utah game and turned in his most impressive defensive performance since joining the Warriors. He finished with a season-high four blocks while posting a 111.4 defensive rating on a night when three Bulls players scored career highs.
One of the Warriors’ few guarantees this season has been production from the bench. Golden State’s reserves are averaging 44.2 points per game, the third-highest mark in the NBA. Against Chicago, they combined for 65 points, the 12th time this season the Warriors’ bench has reached the 60-point plateau.
LJ Cryer scored a career-high 17 points and posted a +18 in 21 minutes. Pat Spencer added 17 points and six assists while also finishing at +18 in 30 minutes. Gary Payton II recorded his second double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
What didn't
Well, in simple terms: the Warriors couldn't stop the Bulls from putting the ball in the basket. Matas Buzelis went off for a career-high 41 points, while Josh Giddey posted a Jokic-like triple-double with 21 points, 13 rebounds and 17 assists.
Chicago flat-out dominated the Warriors on the glass, pulling down 64 rebounds — including 20 offensive boards — a new season high by a Golden State opponent.
Leading by eight with 1:31 left against a team content with losing should have been a favorable spot. The Warriors still found a way to blow it. After a Pat Spencer three pushed the lead to eight, the Bulls closed the game on an 11-3 run over the final 90 seconds. That disastrous closing stretch was punctuated by Draymond fouling Jalen Smith while up two, sending the game to overtime.
127-117 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves
What worked
The Warriors showed impressive resilience in the second-half, having lost Al Horford, Seth Curry and Quinten Post to injuries. They easily could have thrown in the towel, but decided to fight back. Powered by a 39-point third quarter, the Warriors cut a 25-point lead to just seven, a notable effort.
After dealing with free-throwing issues over the last couple of weeks, the Warriors shot 24-of-25 (96%) from the line against the Wolves – their second-best free-throw percentage of the season. As for individual performances, Podziemski notched his third double-double of the season with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Gui Santos set a new career-high in assists with eight and Porzingis scored 20 points in 22 minutes.
What didn't
Unfortunately, the Warriors can't control their faith. It's difficult to expect such an undermanned group to defeat a fully healthy Timberwolves squad, led by a nearing-his-prime Anthony Edwards.
Ant torched the Warriors with 42 points, eight rebounds and five assists, and there was nothing they could do about it.
110-107 loss to the New York Knicks
What worked
The Warriors came into Madison Square Garden with this shorthanded group: Podziemski, Payton II, Post, Santos, Spencer, Leons (two-way), Richard, Cryer (two-way), Williams (two-way) and Yurtseven (10-day contract). But they didn't try to find any excuses and just competed hard.
Madison Square Garden was stunned — and, to be honest, so was everyone — when a Warriors team with 93% of its payroll in street clothes raced to a 21-point lead early in the second quarter. They hung 35 first-quarter points on the league's sixth-best defense, shooting 11-of-18 from the field and going to the line ten times.
Brandin Podziemski continued to take advantage of that injury-riddled stretch, tallying 25 points, five rebounds, six assists and two steals. He had an opportunity to give the Warriors the lead down the stretch but decided to take a quick three down by one with under 24 seconds left, a decision Steve Kerr supported. The third-year man leads the Warriors in scoring (15.6) and rebounding (7.0) since Steph Curry went down with a knee injury on Jan. 30 (17 games).
What didn't
Ultimately, the talent and star power proved enough for New York to get away with the win, but it wasn't without a fight. The Warriors took them down to the last possession, only for Quinten Post (career-high 22 points) and Gui Santos (20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists) to fumble the ball with a chance to tie it.
Up next
The Warriors will play the second game of their six-game road trip on Monday afternoon in Washington before traveling to Boston to face the Celtics on Wednesday. They will then close out the week with another back-to-back set — their 14th of the season — in Detroit on Friday and Atlanta on Saturday.
With the Clippers surging and the Blazers gaining ground, the Warriors seem to be drifting toward the unwanted side of the play-in bracket: the No. 9 or No. 10 seed