Copyright 2014 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
By Andrew Montanye (@iDREWiT_uP)
The Golden State Warriors had their winning streak halted at ten tonight as they went down in a nail biter to the Brooklyn Nets 102-98. In a game that looked like a blowout ten minutes into the action, the rest of the game could not have gone any worse for the Dubs.
After winning the first quarter 32-22, the Warriors seemed to struggle with energy and discipline the rest of the game. Giving up 18 turnovers on the night miraculously didn’t seem to be hurting the Warriors too much, until the second to last possession when Steph Curry coughed up the ball for the final time. That miscue would seal the Warriors fate, and eventually lead to Joe Johnson shooting and making two free throws, to put the Brooklyn Nets up four, and set the final score to 102-98.
One of the Warriors main problems outside of the multitude of turnovers they gave up was their energy level. The game tonight was the Warriors fourth game in six nights, and the second game of a back-to-back. Towards the end of the first quarter, Steph Curry and his teammates were visibly tired, and would not receive the rest that they required on the night.
Curry and Klay Thompson played a combined 88 minutes in tonight’s game. This coaching decision proved to be totally ineffective on a night when the whole team was tired from traveling from Milwaukee to Brooklyn.
To show just how tired the Warriors had gotten throughout the game, we can look at the shooting numbers from the contest. In the first half, the Warriors shot 52 percent from the field, and 50 percent from three. By the end of the night, those numbers were down to 46 and 34 respectively. Thompson who scored eight points in the first quarter alone, ended up with only 14 points, while adding five rebounds, three assists, and two turnovers on a night where it seemed he had got it going early.
David Lee and Andrew Bogut, who in the first half combined for 21 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals, and three blocks, seemed to be having another standout duo performance. These types of performances have been so pivotal to the team over this winning streak and road trip. Things changed in the second half when Bogut saw decreased playing time like he has so much in the second half of games, and David Lee cooled off considerably from the field.
Another thing to note with the loss to the Nets tonight is the Western Conference standings. The Warriors coming into the night were tied with the Clippers for fourth in the West and first in the Pacific division with a 24 and 13 record. After the loss tonight, they drop a half game back with a 24 and 14 record as they await the outcome of the Clippers game tonight. The Warriors and Clippers will meet again on January 30th in a matchup featured on TNT.