Matt Slocum/Associated Press
The Golden State Warriors are just 3-5 in their last eight games following Tuesday’s 128-95 blowout loss to the Boston Celtics at Oracle Arena, and head coach Steve Kerr was not happy.
“We did not go all out,” he said, per Nick Friedell of ESPN. “It was embarrassing.”
While the Warriors missed Klay Thompson’s shooting on the offensive end, it was the defensive lapses that proved costliest.
Five Celtics scored in double figures, highlighted by a head-turning performance from Gordon Hayward. He finished with 30 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals behind 12-of-16 shooting from the field and 4-of-6 shooting from three-point range.
Kyrie Irving (19 points, 11 assists and five rebounds) also added a double-double as the Warriors struggled to stay in front of him throughout the game.
Despite Kerr’s annoyance with the performance, there is no reason to panic for Golden State. It is still atop the Western Conference at 44-20, and the foursome of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Thompson and Draymond Green understands what it takes to flip the switch in the playoffs after winning the last two championships.
It also has four-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins in the middle this season, and he is capable of dominating opposing centers when playing at his best even though he is still adjusting to his new role with so much surrounding talent.
What’s more, Boston was particularly hungry for a win after dropping five of its previous six and played with a level of emotion the Warriors were unable to match.
Attention now turns to Friday’s critical showdown against the Denver Nuggets, who are 1.5 games behind the Warriors in the race for the Western Conference’s top seed. Expect Golden State to play with a higher level of urgency after Kerr’s comments.
from Declare News https://ift.tt/2NLxVuT
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