3 results from the Warriors’ boring loss to the Hawks

ByNBAUSA



SAN FRANCISCO– For ace up and down like the Golden State Warriors season is so far their 124-111 loss to the visiting Atlanta Hawks it was just as boring a loss as can be.

No one was ejected, no one was injured. There was no fourth-quarter breakdown, and no lack of fight, things that have plagued the Warriors in several losses this year. It was just a good old fashioned, meaningless loss to a team that outplayed them when it mattered.

“Everything was in Atlanta,” coach Steve Kerr he said after the game. “They just played a great game. We couldn’t turn them over. They shut it down. 32 assists, seven turnovers. I didn’t think we played bad. I didn’t think we played that well. Obviously, 10-for-42 (on 3-pointers) — we had to shoot better. But more than anything, they just played a great game.”

The Warriors played the Hawks pretty evenly for most of the game. But the Dubs were undone by two big Atlanta runs – a 17-2 run in the first quarter and a 19-2 run in the third. Stephen Curry, who finished with 31 points, pointed out how such species short moves decided the game.

“There were two runs at the end of the second and third. They created all the separation,” Curry said, pointing to the way the Hawks closed the first half with a 10-2 run. “Crazy how you can play 40 good minutes and lose it in 2-4 minutes. (That’s) the way the NBA is.”

Atlanta guard Luke Kennard especially torched the Dubs. He hit six straight 3-pointers in the second half, finished with 22 points off the bench and assisted Jaylen Johnson and Nikhil Alexander-Walker.

While it was a pretty quiet night for Golden State’s overarching storylines, here are three takeaways from their 19th loss of the season.

Inconsistent role players again

The Warriors got 30 points tonight from their stars Curry and Jimmy Butler, for the second time this season. But with their offensive centers buzzing, Golden State couldn’t score much from anyone else.

While Curry and Butler shot a combined 21 of 40 from the field, the rest of the team shot a paltry 21 of 50 (42.0%). As a team, they shot 23.8% from beyond the arc and turned the ball over 15 times.

Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody were particularly quiet. Podziemski was -21 in 16 minutes, with just a solitary 3-pointer, 1 assist, 1 rebound and 1 steal. And Moody went 0-of-3 from the field in just 17 minutes and had little impact in second place in the standings.

Kerr chalked up the shortcomings of Podziemski, Moody and the rest of the players as a game-by-game thing, explaining after the game that it was part of their development.

“I always felt like the big players played really well four out of every five nights,” Kerr explained. “Role players, that’s two out of every four. You know, there’s a reason guys make all the money. They’re good almost every night. . . . All this league is about is great players being able to do it every night, and younger players trying to develop that consistency.”

But that still doesn’t change the way consistency eludes Podziemski and Moody. The Warriors need more from them, especially given the age and wear and tear of their star veterans.’

De’Anthony Melton continues to impress

While most of the Warriors put up a negative plus/minus, De’Anthony Melton was the only guy with a positive for them. Melton put up a +18 plus/minus to go along with 10 points on 5-of-11 shooting. As the Dubs continue to be careful with his minutes, he’s starting to approach that 23-25 ​​range. And the more they can get him on the floor, the better, because he’s one of the biggest players on the team.

When Melton is on the floor, the offense scores 14.2 more points than when he is off the court. They shoot 3.9% better in effective field goal percentage, turn the ball over 1.0% less, crash the offensive boards better and shoot more free throws when he’s on the floor. His ability to handle the ball, hit open threes, cut the ball and buy the bucket when needed was a perfect complement to Curry and Butler.

“I feel like (my game) is coming,” Melton said continues to move away from rehabbing his ACL tear. “At the same time, I’m just trying to take it day by day. Game by game to see what the next game brings. I’m feeling pretty confident, I just have to see what the next day brings.”

Melton indicated his confidence level feels sharper, especially on offense, since returning from a season-ending ACL tear last season.

Given how positive he has been for the Warriors since returning, his minutes will increase. Especially since Kerr likes him as a two-guard combo next to Curry.

The big shot variety continues to decide these games for the Warriors

The Warriors shoot the most 3-pointers of any team in the NBA, and make the second most of any team. And they also have the third best shooting quality in the league. 28.6% of their field goal attempts are wide open (defender within +6 feet).

But they are a team that leaves plenty of meat on the bones from distance, as they shoot 35.9% from deep. And while that percentage ranks 12th in the league, that’s mostly because their 3-point percentage is such a high variance. They shot less than 30% from deep in 12 of their games and more than 40% in 11 contests. It’s usually feast or famine for the Warriors when it comes to the 3-point line.

Curry and Kerr marked the Warriors’ shooting as an off night, but the fact remains that they are pretty inconsistent from deep. When Curry and Butler draw two defenders, they need an open shooter to make the defense pay off. Melton did it. Al Horford is starting to prove he can do it. But Moody, Podziemski, Quinten Post and the rest of the cast? Their shooting comes with the tides.

The Warriors will have a chance to get back on track Tuesday against the Portland Trail Blazers.





2026-01-12 12:55:00

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