The Golden State Warriors have suffered arguably their most heart-breaking loss of the season in Philadelphia on Thursday night, having produced a mammoth fourth-quarter comeback only to lose to the 76ers in the final second at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
After finding themselves down 30-10 at the end of the first period and playing without Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green in the entire second-half, the Warriors went on a sensational 28-8 run to take a four-point lead with just over a minute remaining.
Golden State still led by one with 11 seconds left and possession, only to turn it over and give the 76ers a chance to steal victory back. They took advantage in the most heart-breaking way possible from a Warrior perspective, with Tyrese Maxey's air-balled jump-shot falling straight to VJ Edgecombe for the game-winning layup in the final second.
Warriors season reaches a new level of heartbreak in Philadelphia
Golden State can take positives from their second-half comebacks in each of the past two games, but ultimately they've conceded late leads to lose both and fall below under .500 for the first time this season.
De'Anthony Melton's return from a long-term knee injury couldn't have gone much better, with the veteran guard dropping 14 points, three assists and two steals on 5-of-11 shooting in 21 minutes off the bench.
Melton's defense also looked excellent given his extended absence, leaving some significant optimism on the impact he could have going forward especially when Curry and Butler return from injury.
A WILD finish in Philly ends in heartbreak for the Dubs 💔 pic.twitter.com/i12CErLqRb
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 5, 2025
Without Curry, Butler and Green, and with former first-round picks Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski offering limited impact, Steve Kerr went to unlikely lineups in the fourth-quarter that inspired the comeback effort.
Pat Spencer was again huge after Tuesday's impressive outing against the Oklahoma City Thunder, going for a team-high 16 points, four rebounds and four assists in 24 minutes off the bench. Gui Santos also came up with a pair of important layups in the final minutes, while Quinten Post hit an important three late in his 10-point, three-rebound, four-assist performance off the bench.
Six players scored in double figures for the Warriors, with Buddy Hield joining Melton with 14 points to go with eight rebounds and two steals. In contrast, the 76ers were often a one-man show with Maxey going for 35 points on 13-of-27 shooting in nearly 40 minutes.
Green left the game in the second-quarter after rolling his ankle, leaving the Warriors without their veteran trio after Butler was ruled out prior to tip off due to knee soreness. Golden State will hope to get Butler back when they visit Cleveland to face the Cavaliers on Saturday.