The Golden State Warriors suffered one of the most “humiliating” defeats in franchise history Friday night during a 53-point loss at the hands of the Toronto Raptors, a team that entered the game after losing 13 of his last 14 games.
“You saw him,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the 130-77 loss. “They destroyed us. There’s not much to say. Humiliating for everyone involved.”
The Warriors, who were losing up to 61 points in the second half, set some questionable marks in a game in which both Stephen Curry (coxis) and Draymond Green (left finger sprain) were left out.
The Raptors outscored the Warriors by 51 points in the second and third quarters, the largest point differential in a two-quarter lap within a game in NBA history, according to Elias Sports Bureau. The Warriors became the fourth team in the last 25 seasons to be at least 60 points in a game, according to ESPN Stats and Information. The Raptors ’53-point margin of victory is also tied for third place in league history for a team that is 10 or more games below .500.
“I think the game went south quickly and we got demoralized,” Kerr said. “I think without Steph and Draymond, I think we were a little helpless when things went awry. We didn’t have the internal fight we needed to get over the hump.”
This was evident in a variety of different areas, but offensively, the statistic that may be most inconsistent for the Warriors is the fact that they became the only team in the last 25 years to lose a game to the Warriors. ‘at least 50 points and not score a goal. fast turning point. They only had one counterattack attempt throughout the game and lost it. It’s a great reason why Kerr was so frustrated with his team’s lack of ball movement.
“Our team has been built to share the ball,” Kerr said. “When you move the ball in this game, it’s when the magic happens, when you build an energy, a karma, the shots tend to come in if you move the ball and share it. And I just saw one possession after another tonight. it was a pass and a shot. We have to play for each other and I didn’t think we would do that tonight. “
The Warriors, now 23-26, are in tenth place in the Western Conference and have struggled all season to find consistency. Last week, veteran Kevon Looney acknowledged that Curry and Green shared messages for their teammates about looking inward and trying to play better. After Friday’s embarrassing performance, veteran Kent Bazemore said injured former All-Star Klay Thompson shared some frustrating thoughts with several teammates after the game.
“It’s a hard pill to swallow,” Bazemore said of the Warriors ’three center-backs. “We’re talking about – and Klay is there too, these guys have five consecutive appearances in the Finals. This is by no means acceptable to them. This hurts them more than anything. Klay turned on after And these have been the two hardest years seeing his boys out there without him being able to help. So I think a fire was lit under him, and Steph and Draymond, they know how important they are to us. “
For Thompson, the defeat was even harder to see as he is currently recovering from an Achilles tendon injury that has forced him to lose his second consecutive season. Bazemore said Thompson’s message to some teammates was simple to the point.
“I was just talking about how the game was lost and that it’s not acceptable to lose that way,” Bazemore said. “He’s excited, man. It’s hard to see, regardless of whether you’re playing or not.”
The good news for the Warriors is that Curry is expected to return Sunday against the Atlanta Hawks. Green’s condition remains unclear as he was initially expected to play on Friday, but after trying to warm up, he told the coaching staff that he could not catch the ball with his left hand due to injury to the dit. Green told Kerr he could play, but the veteran coach made the decision for Green to sit down.
While the Warriors are waiting for their stars to recover, they have an imminent problem with the young pivot they hoped would help them this season. The 20-year-old grandson, James Wiseman, had another tough night against the Raptors, fighting at both ends of the court, which has been a constant theme since the All-Star recess. Kerr said the Warriors would like to simplify parts of Wiseman’s game plan so he can regain his confidence.
“As a young player, a lot of guys try to do too much,” Kerr said. “I think that’s what’s happening with James right now. I think he’s a very talented guy, and he’s always been able to do what he wanted on the court, but in the NBA, the game goes so fast that you just have to that undressing It all comes down to ‘let’s be good at the things I can be good at now and then my game will expand as we move forward.’ and that’s what we’re trying to share with James and teach him.
“But the only way to learn this is by feeling and him feeling it. Then he will grow from there and we will stay positive with him, we will try to clarify things and keep things really simple and help him build their confidence during the last quarter of the season. “
While the Warriors hope to see more development in the No. 2 overall selection stretch in the 2020 draft, they do so with a group that reached the lowest point of their season on Friday night. Kerr hopes his team recovers after two straight losses, but he also understands that each individual player must find his own motivation to get things back on track before it’s too late.
“As a coach, you try to navigate the season with your team the best you can,” Kerr said. “So there are moments for humor, there are moments for joy, there are moments for serious discussion and the examination of conscience. This is a time for the examination of consciousness with certainty.”