SAN FRANCISCO – Klay Thompson hit six 3-pointers, Jordan Poole scored a game-high 28 factors and Otto Porter Jr. made vital contributions off the bench Sunday evening towards the Spurs. And but the Warriors nonetheless misplaced, a reminder of simply how troublesome the following two weeks will likely be with out Steph Curry.
There’s not one participant who can single handedly make up for the loss felt by Curry’s absence.
That’s why coach Steve Kerr has repeatedly stated it’ll take a collective effort – beginning on protection – to maintain the group afloat and in good place within the Western Convention standings whereas Curry rehabs the sprained ligament in his left foot.
Porter and Poole answered the decision Sunday in what was one in all Porter’s best video games of the season.
Coming off the bench, Porter recorded his third double-double with the Warriors, scoring 16 factors – his most since Jan. 29 – and grabbing a career-high 16 rebounds.
“Otto was nice, he’s one of many smartest gamers I’ve ever been round,” Kerr stated after the 110-108 loss. “Simply the best way he rebounds, the best way he anticipates performs earlier than they occur, his weak-side assistance is wonderful. I believed Otto was good tonight.
“His efforts, sadly, didn’t result in a win, however I believed he performed a incredible sport.”
In the meantime, Poole continued his scorching taking pictures of late. He prolonged his streak of scoring at the least 20 factors to a career-high 9 video games. He and Klay Thompson held down the backcourt for the Warriors with a mixed 52 factors.
The Warriors ought to be in positive arms with Poole, Thompson and Draymond Inexperienced taking part in at their finest. As for Porter, they want him to proceed to offer a carry to the second unit and – maybe most significantly – keep wholesome.
Porter’s final two seasons had been been tormented by accidents in Chicago and Orlando, however he’s performed 56 video games this season for the Warriors, providing 3-point taking pictures and becoming in with the Warriors’ free-flowing fashion of play.
The ninth-year veteran stated his mindset going ahead is “simply to get rebounds to get out, making an attempt to up the tempo, making an attempt to get additional possessions for our group. Simply making an attempt to go on the market and play laborious.”
The Warriors additionally have to do a greater job of setting the tone for the sport early.
The sport towards the Spurs finally got here all the way down to what Kerr referred to as a pair of “weird” fouls, however that was partly because of the Warriors digging themselves right into a gap early.
Golden State appeared sluggish from the beginning and performed from behind for many of the first three quarters, permitting the Spurs to steer by as many as 14 factors within the first half.
It wasn’t till Inexperienced was ejected within the third quarter for receiving two technical fouls in eight seconds whereas arguing with an official that a hearth was lit below the Warriors.
“I really like the best way our group responded after we felt the stress to reply,” Kerr stated. “I didn’t love the best way we performed within the first half and not using a sense of urgency.
“We've got to know we’re undermanned, there are… now 11 video games left, we’re wanting on the playoffs, there’s acquired to be a way of urgency. There’s acquired to be a way of aggressive struggle that we take to the opposite group from the very starting of the sport and I didn't see that till it was actually late within the sport. The blokes had been nice in that fourth quarter, combating like loopy. We acquired to struggle like loopy from the beginning.”
With out Curry, Golden State is 2-5 this season and 18-58 during the last three seasons. The Dubs have to get it collectively and rapidly in the event that they need to preserve their place within the Western Convention standings.
Eight of the Warriors’ closing 11 video games are on the highway, and their schedule contains 4 units of back-to-backs, with video games towards the Miami Warmth, Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz, who're beginning to shut the hole between themselves and the Warriors within the race for the West’s No. 3 seed after profitable their final three video games getting into Monday.
“We’ve acquired to proceed to determine it out,” Porter stated. “We haven’t actually performed wholesome all 12 months, so one particular person goes down, everyone’s acquired to step up, particularly defensively, we’ve acquired to lock in. Offensively, the best way we transfer the ball that’s going to come back. We’ve simply acquired to search out methods to win video games.”