Defensive lapses plague Steph Curry, Warriors in narrow loss to Blazers

ByNBAUSA


SAN FRANCISCO – The The Golden State Warriors felt good they return home to the Bay after surviving a grueling six-game road trip, especially with five straight home games and far more rest between games than they’ve had all season. But the flow they found in San Antonio, the good vibes and the drive they rediscovered on the road that Steve Kerr and company believed they had found on the road all came to a screeching halt thanks to the Portland Trail Blazers.

The 6-9 Blazers, who missed Jrue Holiday and Shaedon Sharpe, handed the Dubs their ninth loss of the season in a high-scoring 127-123 affair. In the game where Stephen Curry collected 38 points on nine made three-pointers and Jimmy Butler and Brandin Podziemski each added 20 points, Golden State nullified a a series of defensive lapses.

“We played well enough to win, but nothing to show for it,” Curry said after the game. “Some untimely breakdowns on the defensive end that led to some open threes down the stretch. We couldn’t get the rebound. Defensively, we didn’t do enough as a unit to give ourselves a chance.”

Portland dominated Golden State on the glass 52-32, as the Dubs surrendered 21 offensive rebounds and 28 second-chance points.

“That was the game,” Kerr said, pointing to the Blazers beating them on the boards. “A lot of converted 3s. A couple of 3s by Caleb Love. Offensive boards, 28-10 second-chance points. They’re an athletic team. A couple of their guys are super athletic. They collide and put a lot of pressure on us. That was the difference.”

The other difference was Danny Avdia, who finished with 26 points and 14 assists. A series of straight drives by Avdia late in the fourth quarter wore down the Warriors’ defense time and time again. Those breaks allowed Avdia to find Love for two dagger 3-pointers in the final two minutes. The undrafted rookie scored a career-high 26 points on six 3-pointers.

Defensive inconsistencies remain the only consistency

Portland Trail Blazers forward Danny Avdia (8) drives the ball against Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (2) during the first quarter at Chase Center.
Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

The story of Golden State this season has been inconsistency. In games, when the defense succeeds, it is the offense that lets them down. On nights like these, when the offense puts things together, it’s the defense that falters. When they finally win the turnover battle, they will get hit on the glass.

But defensive lapses in particular are becoming a worrying trend. That was the root of their problems in a string of losses to the Bucks, Pacers and Thunder. at that time, The Warriors cited a lack of effort and the need to be proud of that end of the floor, which they seem to have improved in three wins against the Spurs twice and the Pelicans. Even halfway through losses to the Magic and Miami, Golden State seemed confident in its effort and intensity.

But now, after a bad loss to the ailing and injured Blazers, it’s hard not to believe that the “defensive inconsistency” won’t stick around.

“We just don’t guard anybody,” Butler said after the game. “As far as I can tell, I haven’t been here long, but that’s never been the formula here. To win a championship, you have to take every match personally. Yes, the help will be there, but we have to be a lot better on that side of the ball.”

To make his point, Butler emphasized how the Warriors’ defense couldn’t take anything away from the Blazers’ offensive scheme, which usually spells disaster for any team’s chances at defensive success. During the season, Golden State boasted some below-average defensive metrics. They rank 23rd in the league in rebounding percentage (48.2%) and 20th in opponent field goal percentage (47.2%). However, they still rank 10th in defensive rating (112.2) and 5th in opponents’ turnovers (16.9).

For Curry, he pointed to the Dubs game plan discipline, or lack thereof.

“I think we had some bright spots in some games that showed we could do it for 48 minutes,” Curry said. “We’ve had our struggles, even tonight we’ve had some ebbs and flows. We’ve got answers; we’ve just got reminders that you’ve got to fly around, stay connected, don’t make any mental mistakes when you’re letting guys get to their strong arm, game plan, discipline stuff. I think we’re struggling with that part, especially tonight, letting guys just put a lot of pressure on us, if we have to put a lot of pressure on us. When you guard the rim or guard the ball like in during the game, you start to chase a bit.

Optimism for the Warriors’ defense moving forward

Despite the defensive lapses, Kerr wasn’t overly concerned about the state of the Warriors’ defense. However, he was candid about the potential need to play two more big lineups with bigger teams on the horizon, such as the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder in the coming games. That will mean more minutes for Quinten Post and potentially third-string center Trace Jackson-Davis.

The Warriors would certainly love to play Al Horford alongside Draymond Green more often, but the 39-year-old center suffered a strained right hamstring midway through this game.

As for Butler, despite sounding bad on the Dubs’ defense in the loss, he remains the hope of the Warriors’ defense.

“I’m always optimistic. But I’m also honest and I’m telling the truth,” Butler said when asked if he felt like the defense took a step back after the lackluster performance.

“We can beat individuals some nights when we’re scoring the basketball. But you can’t always count on shots for whatever reason. You’ve always got to be able to guard. Until we get back to that — guarding and taking it when people get to us personally, we’re going to be in a funk for a while. But I think we can get some shots, get some of them. one-on-one see who got what.

Golden State will get two days off at home for the first time in a long time. They will look to revamp their defense before facing the Utah Jazz on Monday.





2025-11-22 15:05:00

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