SAN FRANCISCO – Coach Steve Kerr estimated the Warriors gave away 10 possessions Sunday night time at Chase Heart, falling to the Los Angeles Clippers 112-104 of their first lack of the 2024-25 NBA season after two consecutive blowout victories.
“Certain did,” Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski advised NBC Sports activities Bay Space at his locker after the loss when advised of the quantity Kerr got here to.
The Warriors opened the season in opposition to the Portland Path Blazers and Utah Jazz, two groups projected to be within the backside of the Western Convention standings, with a median of greater than 133 factors. Headlines credited Buddy Hield’s blistering begin capturing the ball, in addition to the Warriors swarming defensively and their depth shining as vivid as their largest stars.
Another excuse for the Warriors reigning supreme over the Blazers and Jazz was ball motion, in addition to caring for it, too.
All through their undefeated 6-0 preseason, the Warriors averaged 30 assists and 18 turnovers. Then to begin the season in Portland and Utah, they averaged 36.5 assists and solely 16.5 turnovers, totaling 40 extra assists (73) than turnovers (33). These numbers then took an unsightly flip in entrance of the Warriors’ dwelling crowd Sunday.
Steph Curry, earlier than exiting early within the fourth quarter to a left ankle injury, had six assists but additionally six turnovers. Hield’s scorching capturing turned chilly, and his off night time was accompanied by 4 turnovers, which had been greater than the three pictures he made all sport. Kerr used 13 gamers, together with Lindy Waters III’s 32 seconds of run, and 10 had a minimum of one turnover.
Kerr’s starting five tallied 11 turnovers and 10 assists, portray an image for the group as an entire. The Warriors solely had 19 assists on their 38 made pictures, all whereas having 21 turnovers to which the Clippers scored 21 factors.
Golden State Warriors
“Effectively No. 1, the Clippers had been nice defensively,” Kerr stated. “However we received actually free with the ball and we made some careless performs. They’re a really athletic group, very nicely coached. They had been in spots to trouble us.”
Kerr took blame for the Warriors’ must work underneath duress higher. They snatched 28 steals of their first two video games and got here away with one other 10 on Sunday night time, however the Clippers one-upped them there with 11. Veteran guard Kris Dunn led each groups with 4 steals, and 4 Clippers had a number of steals.
Clippers coach Ty Lue is taken into account the most effective defensive coaches within the NBA, forming a switch-heavy scheme. The Warriors of their pregame movie session mentioned the necessity for his or her nook man slicing and the wing spacing to the nook to harm the Clippers’ switches, and once they go five-out to double reduce as a result of they prefer to point-switch.
“We weren’t in line with that,” Podziemski stated. “At occasions we did that and it was good, however simply not constant sufficient with that.”
Of their first two video games of the season, the Clippers had been forcing their opponents – the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets – to show the ball over a median of 16 occasions. They ranked twenty third within the NBA final season in forcing 12.4 turnovers per sport. The Warriors far too usually Sunday night time had been their very own worst enemies, making careless turnovers.
That they had 4 turnovers within the first quarter, doubled that to eight turnovers within the second quarter, seven within the third and eventually solely two turnovers within the fourth as their comeback couldn’t be accomplished.
“A number of the turnovers had been straightforward twos, straightforward dunks for them on the opposite finish,” Podziemski stated. “It alleviates strain off James [Harden] to attain on a regular basis. You noticed that Derrick Jones hit a pair threes, Kris Dunn began feeling good. Simply received to be collectively extra sound.”
The Warriors have at some point to right their first lack of the season. Curry is getting an MRI Sunday night time after utilizing the phrase “gentle” or “average” to explain his harm to Kerr. Whether or not he misses no time, a brief period of time or an prolonged interval, the Warriors know they’ve to wash up their turnovers, a difficulty that seems like a yearly subject.
Subsequent up, the New Orleans Pelicans (2-1) come to Chase Heart for a back-to-back on Tuesday and Wednesday night time, having averaged 12 steals per sport, and likewise inflicting a median of greater than 18 turnovers. Podziemski might slide into the beginning lineup because the Warriors’ main ball-handler if Curry is to overlook video games, and the younger guard isn’t involved about one sloppy sport offensively.
“It was first check of a very good protection,” Podziemski stated. “Whenever you face it for the primary time you simply received to take it and study from it. New Orleans is a good, lengthy protection too, and we simply received to study from it.”
