A week deeply tainted by Moses Moody's devastating injury against the Dallas Mavericks last Monday ended with the Golden State Warriors melting down in the second half in Denver, snapping a three-game winning streak.
Prior to that, the Warriors ground out two wins against the lowly Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards. At least the Warriors actually won games, even if they didn’t always go about it the right way. With that said, let’s dive into it.
137-131 OT win over the Dallas Mavericks
What worked
The Warriors and fans were super happy to have Moody back. The swingman had just returned from a wrist injury that caused him to miss 10 games, then dropped 23 points in a strong performance. Unfortunately, we now know how the rest of the game played out.
The offense as a whole was clicking. In the final game of an arduous six-game road trip, the Warriors put up 137 points on 50.5% shooting from the field and 17-of-47 from deep. They also racked up 39 assists, their second-highest total of the season.
Eight players reached double-figures, with both Podziemski (20 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists) and Porzingis (22 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) joining Moody in the 20-point club. Four of the five reserves ended in double-figures, led by Gary Payton II with 17 points.
What didn't
Giving up 131 points to the NBA’s fourth-worst defense isn’t good. The Warriors couldn’t slow down rookie Cooper Flagg who finished with 32 points, four rebounds and nine assists in 42 minutes.
The turnovers continued to hurt the Warriors, as they committed 24 of them in Dallas. The Mavericks turned those miscues into 30 points. De'Anthony Melton was responsible for seven of those turnovers while going scoreless on 0-of-6 shooting.
109-106 win over the Brooklyn Nets
What worked
Despite finally getting home from a long six-game road trip, the Warriors came out flat. They lost the first three quarters before erupting in the fourth where they outscored the Nets 32-20. They shot 62.5% from the field while attempting just two threes (making both) and, more impressively, went to the line 12 times.
Gui Santos was the catalyst behind the rally, scoring 21 of his career-high 31 points in the second half. He became just the fourth Brazilian to eclipse the 30-point mark, joining Leandro Barbosa, Anderson Varejão, and Nenê Hilário.
By going 5-for-5 on his way to 10 points, Gary Payton II put together the second-longest made field goal streak in Warriors history at 16, spanning three games.
What didn't
When we thought things couldn't get any worse turnover-wise, the Warriors found a way to surprise us. Their 26 turnovers marked a new season high and were the main reason Brooklyn managed to hang around until the very last possession. The Nets turned those miscues into 26 points.
131-126 win over the Washington Wizards
What worked
Brandin Podziemski put together another double-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists, his second in his last three games at the time.
Draymond Green had his fifth 10-assist game to go along with six points, four rebounds and two blocks. For the 13th time this season, Green attempted four or fewer shots and the Warriors are 9-4 in those games.
The win marked the first time Golden State had won three-straight since losing Jimmy Butler to a season-ending knee injury on Jan. 19.
What didn't
Over a five-day span, the Warriors allowed the fourth-worst defense in the NBA (Dallas) to score 131 points and the second-worst offense (Washington) to put up 126. The Wizards flat-out dominated the Warriors in the third quarter, turning a 12-point deficit into a two-point lead. Golden State committed six of its 12 turnovers in the period while allowing Washington to shoot 53.8% from the field and 6-of-11 from beyond the arc.
116-93 loss to the Denver Nuggets
What worked
The Warriors arguably played one of their best defensive first halves of the season, holding the best offense in the league to just 46 points while shooting 46% from the field to grab a seven-point lead going into halftime.
Both Porzingis (23) and Podziemski (23) recorded 20-point games, with Podziemski extending his streak to four-straight. The big man became the first Warriors center to knock down five threes without a miss.
Payton continued to deliver off the bench, accounting for 16 of the bench's 25 points while going 7-of-8 from the field. The little big man is averaging 14.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.6 steals on 69% shooting during his current 11-game double-figure streak.
What didn't
As often lately, the Warriors completely collapsed in the third. Denver hung 40 points on them, erasing the seven-point lead they had built. The Nuggets went on to score 70 points in the second-half, turning a narrow Warriors lead into a blowout loss.
De'Anthony Melton went scoreless for the second time in three games, going 0-for-5 from the floor. He's now shooting under 40% from the field and 25% from three in March while committing 2.6 turnovers per game.
Up next
The Warriors' next three games are rough ones, as they're set to face the Spurs, Cavaliers (on the second night of a back-to-back) and Rockets at home.
Golden State currently trails the Blazers by 1.5 games for the 9th seed and the Clippers by two games for the 8th. With just seven games left, the Warriors seem destined to finish in 10th place, meaning they'll need to win two road games just to reach the playoffs.