Warriors rediscover fire but fall short without Curry to Thunder – The Mercury News

On November 28, 2024By Littum

SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors didn’t have their best player, but they re-established the intensity they had lacked over the past few games.

After trailing by 19 early, Golden State turned in a surprising spark plug performance to win the middle quarters 60-45, turning what appeared to be a blowout into a Thanksgiving night showdown.

But as time expired, Andrew Wiggins couldn’t convert a contested layup that would have sent the game into overtime.

Without Steph Curry, who is considered day-to-day with soreness in both knees, the Warriors gave the Thunder a real scare.

Draymond Green (8 points, 6 assists, 12 rebounds) and Jonathan Kuminga (19 points) helped lead Golden State’s comeback, but ultimately didn’t have enough scoring to win a back-and-forth last quarter. The Warriors (12-6) scored just five points in the final 5:45 and fell to No. 1 in the west, 105-101.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 35 and added nine rebounds and five rebounds in 39 minutes. The Warriors hit 50 3-pointers — a tie when you’re overmatched — but scored just 18 points in an intense fourth quarter. They have now lost three in a row for their first losing streak of the season.

The Warriors started the game with the kind of energy they’ve had in the last few games — not much. After Andrew Wiggins scored the team’s first nine points, they went on a four-minute dry spell. Oklahoma City ripped off runs of 12-0 and 10-2 as the Warriors couldn’t get stops and shot 31.8% from the field.

Short-handed and possibly demoralized by the Thunder’s early storm, Steve Kerr inserted backup guard Pat Spencer to start the second quarter. Without Curry and De’Anthony Melton, who is out for the season, Spencer was the backup point guard to Brandin Podziemski.

It wasn’t just Spencer, but he helped turn the game around.

Spencer gave the Warriors the juice they’ve been looking for. He played with intensity and pace and made two quick assists. After being fouled on a fast break, he bounced off the floor and pumped up the Warriors’ bench. Later, after the officials didn’t call a blocking foul that would have put Spencer back at the free throw line, he was given a technical foul for fouling — and Kerr called a timeout to hold him up along with Curry and Draymond Green.

Golden State won Spencer’s first five minutes with seven points. His magic was fleeting, but Spencer seemed to ignite the Warriors, whose starters returned and clawed within 12 at halftime. Jonathan Kuminga knocked down a pair of 3s and added a thunderous punch to their powerful kicks.

Kuminga added a corner 3 and an and-1 through Isaiah Hartenstein to start the second half. He then forced a foul while picking up Gilgeous-Alexander in the backcourt. The Warriors missed his athleticism and scoring punch when he sat out the last two games with an illness.

A Podziemski duck-1 — and flex celebration — cut Oklahoma City’s lead to seven. Jalen Williams, who scored 13 points in the first half, did not return after taking a shot in the face on Kuminga’s dunk.

Late in the third quarter, after Buddy Hield (17 points) sank his fourth of five 3s to bring the Warriors within three, Hartenstein picked up his fifth foul. With him in foul trouble, Chet Holmgren still sidelined and Jalen Williams out, the Thunder were about as depleted as the Warriors.

The Warriors had a window to make a move.

Kuminga made two impressive defensive stands against Gilgeous-Alexander. Then Spencer, back to relieve Podziemski, finished a left-handed layup to make it a one-point game. The Warriors, who are the best third quarter team in the league, won the period 33-22 entering the fourth down.

Kyle Anderson hit a corner 3 to give the Warriors their first lead since the opening minutes. His and-1 two minutes later put them back on top as the score tilted.

Green, sensing the moment, stepped up the defense. On one possession, he caught Gilgeous-Alexander in a pick-and-roll, showed up and recovered on another attempt, then caught Isaiah Joe on the other side of the floor for a steal.

The Thunder looked exhausted in the fourth quarter. The Warriors denied Gilgeous-Alexander the ball and chased him when he got it. Both teams went scoreless for over two minutes late in the game, the score locked at 97-96.

Gilgeous-Alexander drilled a step-back 3 with a minute left to put the Thunder up by four, but Oklahoma City’s missed free throw kept the Warriors alive. A Wiggins wing 3 made it a one-possession game and Ker had a chance to make it a game-winning or tying game with 7.7 seconds left.

Wiggins looked good, but the finger-roll finish missed badly. The Warriors gave it everything they had, but didn’t quite have enough to pull off the upset.