The Golden State Warriors suffered another poor loss in the clutch, and Steph Curry made his feelings known. The Warriors were close to forcing overtime against the LA Lakers on Christmas, but Austin Reaves hit a game-winning layup with one second left.
Speaking to reporters after the heart-crushing defeat, Curry was asked to describe the morale of the team’s locker room. The four-time NBA champ wasn’t ready to give up just because of a tough stretch, expressing confidence that the Warriors will figure it out at some point.
“I’m sure everybody had a different answer, but I still have hope and faith and confidence that we can figure it out,” Curry said.
“That’s how I’m built. I feel like you go out there and talk about it, but how you execute, how you show up on a nightly basis. The effort we’re giving considering what our record in the recent stretch.”
The Golden State Warriors started the season at 12-3 and were among the best teams in the NBA. However, they have gone 3-12 since then, and most of their losses have been close ones. They have had big leads erased because of non-execution down the stretch.
During the loss to the LA Lakers on Christmas Day, Steph Curry hit two huge 3-point shots in under 13 seconds to make it 113-113. There were six seconds left, and Draymond Green did a good job denying LeBron James the ball.
So, Austin Reaves had no other choice but to take the last shot. He was defended by Andrew Wiggins, one of the Warriors’ best defenders. Reaves, though, blew by Wiggins and made the easy layup with a second left.
Golden State had no timeouts left, so Curry had to heave a hail mary and missed as the Lakers earned a 115-113 victory. The two-time MVP finished with 38 points and six assists.
What’s next for Steph Curry and the Warriors?
The Golden State Warriors dropped to 15-14 for the season following their latest loss to the LA Lakers. The Warriors are 10th in the Western Conference, with the San Antonio Spurs creeping behind them.
Golden State’s front office has probably recognized the need for a secondary option on offense. Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga have done a wonderful job for the Warriors, but they might just be better as the third option, as Steph Curry can’t shoulder the load in every possession.
It’s one of the reasons why the Warriors have been linked to Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat. Nikola Vucevic of the Chicago Bulls has also been mentioned as a possible target. Golden State has a bunch of young assets to make a deal ahead of the Feb. 7 trade deadline.
