Warriors’ Steve Kerr believes 37-point outburst will be a ‘one-off’

ByNBAUSA



SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – When you lose 37 points for the Oklahoma City Thunderwith Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green were ruled outtakeout is small.

Ugly Golden State Warriors offense without a prime mover to propel it forward. The best team in the league with star power and depth on full display. The difference between a team on pace to win 70 games and a team treading water in a tournament run. All of those things were on full display in the Warriors’ uncompetitive 131-94 loss to the Thunder.

However, the bigger question is whether these shortcomings will continue to exist.

Going into this game, the confidence started to ooze from the Warriors. They have won five of their last six games, giving up 119+ points in each of those games. They pointed to the consistency they’ve found in keeping the starting lineup, they pointed to the chemistry that comes from a solidified rotation. Golden State had some real momentum after more than a few hiccups and bumps early on.

So after their biggest loss, in terms of point differential, of the season, the question remains – will Golden State’s lackluster momentum carry over? Head coach Steve Kerr he doesn’t believe he will.

“No. No,” Kerr repeated, adamantly shaking his head when asked the question. “We had a run of games, obviously, we just got back from a road trip. This was the first of three out of four (games). I think this is a one-off and we’ll be back tomorrow night.”

The justifications behind Kerr’s belief that this blast loss is an anomaly are easy to make. No Curry, Butler or Green – how many teams can beat the Thunder without their top three players? Not to mention the absence of De’Anthony Melton, who is statistically one of the most valuable players on the Warriors this season. And then there’s the fact that this was the fourth game in six nights. Not exactly a game scheduled on a forgiving timeline.

“The flow is different,” Moses Moody explained when asked how the offense changes when the star core is gone.

“Steph, Jimmy, Dray, they have the ball a lot and we play through them a lot. So when they’re not there, it changes a lot of things. They’re all in situations they’re not used to.”

But Kerr admitted the performance they put in was not up to their standards.

“Obviously we miss him, but I don’t think that’s an excuse for the way we played. We weren’t organized well, we didn’t compete well together. Disappointing. Obviously we’re playing the best team in the league, but I thought we could have been a lot better.”

Kerr pointed to offensive problems and a lack of cohesion. Golden State shot 35.6% from the field and 29.5% from the field. Kerr was hoping to see better ball movement, better execution in the half court, but instead the rhythm stalled and the kick that followed he did not enter.

“We had some good looks early, but we didn’t knock down the open ones that could have given us some momentum. But it seemed like the second half, we just didn’t have it. No rhythm. We have to turn the page quickly. Second game tomorrow.”

With Utah Jazz lottery on the horizonThe Warriors should be able to get back on track. Kerr allowed Green to return to bolster the Dubs and expressed hope that Curry and Butler could also be back on the court.

However, their availability remains questionable. Curry is dealing with a sprained ankle he tweaked at the end of the Charlotte Hornets’ win. And Butler is plagued by an illness that has kept him at home rather than at the game. There is hope that they can return, but nothing is certain.

Regardless, the best way to overcome a loss like this is to turn the page quickly, Kerr said. A short memory serves people well when it comes to basketball. And it helps when another game is on the heels of this loss.

“I think it’s pretty easy to do when you have to do it tomorrow,” Moody said. “You have one more chance to do it. We had a lot of momentum in this game. You still feel it.”

Other dignitaries

  • Jonathan Cumminga was a late scratch from this game, ruled out with lower back pain. While he was DNP-CD in nine of his last 10 games entering this one, Kerr planned to play him “a lot of minutes” if he was able to go. Cuming’s trade restriction expires on January 15, in less than two weeks.
  • Per the Warriors’ policy of keeping Al Horford ineligible for both sides of back-to-back games, he will not play against the Jazz. He played 15 minutes against Thunder.
  • Kerr has not given an official word on Melton’s availability tomorrow, but there is a good chance he is available for the Jazz game. Golden State listed him with “left knee; injury management” tag, which is same mark like when he missed visiting the Toronto Raptors. It was also the front end of the back-to-back, so Melton appears to be running a similar back-to-back policy as Horford as they continue to ease him back from ACL surgery.





2026-01-03 15:05:00

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