The Golden State Warriors are not going to finish the season 82-0. Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the Dubs clearly looked fatigued as they missed shots short and ran the court like they needed a warm bath and a long nap. The usual intense burst of energy never materialized as the Warriors shot 40% from the field, 23% from threes and coughed up the ball 16 times. That said, give the Bucks credit. The franchise that stopped the Lakers’ win streak of 33 games in 1972 came out with tremendous effort and took this game. The Warriors now head home to Oakland with their first loss of the season but get a chance to sleep on a long flight, rest, and dream of more wins to come.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) takes a shot against Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut (12) in the fourth quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Here are 10 thoughts from the game:
- Stephen Curry shot 2-8 from threes. Klay Thompson missed everything short. Bench players not named Festus Ezeli provided 10 points total. Andre Iguodala was 1-9 from the field. The frenetic small-ball lineup looked tiny and slow. The Warriors were clearly exhausted. After a double-OT game less than 24 hours before, and on the final game of a 7-game road trip, Golden State did not have anything in the tank for a final push. Greg Monroe, Jabari Parker, the Greak Freak and OJ Mayo gave the Dubs their best shot and forced the 13-point victory.
- Klay’s flagrant-1 foul seemed to give the Warriors a bit of life in the third. The Dubs went from down 12 to down only three by the end of the quarter. However, to start the fourth, Luke Walton went with a lineup of Ezeli, Jason Thompson, Iguodala, Livingston and Barbosa. As you would expect, the unit could not score in the clogged half-court and managed only two points in five minutes. The game was effectively out of reach after that.
- A 6-1 road trip and 24-1 overall record should not be disappointing even if this loss is. For some perspective: from 1997-2002, the Warriors did not win 24 games in an entire season a single time. Golden State went 97-281 those five seasons.
- With less than a minute left in the first quarter, Curry threw the ball full court to Draymond Green for a layup. More than for an easy score, I thought maybe Steph just did not want to run the floor.
Festus Ezeli (31) takes a shot against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and forward John Henson (31) in the second quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
- You know the team is tired when even Draymond is gassed. He had a solid 24 points, 11 boards and 5 assists, but with 2:41 left in the game and the Warriors trying desperately to make a run, Monroe spun right shoulder for a layup and Dray never even moved except for a last-second reach-in foul.
- Michael Carter-Williams had a strong game. He finished with 17 points, 5 assists and a game-high plus-22. After watching this game and remembering his promising rookie year, you would think his career is on its way up. But inexplicably he is coming off the bench and averaging only 10 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.6 rebounds in 28 minutes a game, all career lows. What is going on here? Did Sam Hinkie know something we didn’t when he traded MCW? His Philadelphia squad might not be a real NBA basketball team but Hinkie continues to pull off great trades (the 76ers get the Lakers’ top-3 protected pick). MCW is only 24 years old and his coach is a former All-NBA point guard so there is time left.
- Shaun Livingston guarding MCW was the NBA future that never happened. I used to love watching tall point guards like Magic, Penny and Jalen Rose passing over the top of regular-sized guards. In the late ’90s I thought we would see a slew of them enter the league. Never happened.
- If you had to draft NBA jerseys, which team’s uni would come in second behind the Warriors Bay Bridge adorned perfection? Milwaukee’s home white is in the mix, right? The blue stripe just under the arm (a shout out to Wisconsin’s many bodies of water) takes the whole look up another level. In last place, I’m pretty sure the Clippers’ Nokia Snake Gamejerseys and the Hawks’ Exploded Highlighters effect would battle it out.
- An entire Milwaukee section wore “24-1” t-shirts to the game. That’s how you trash talk the Warriors these days.
- 82-0 is no longer a possibility but 81-1 is still alive. Go Dubs!
Stephen Curry (30) and forward Draymond Green (23) celebrate during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Clippers 112-108. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports