What we learned as Steph struggles in loss to KD, Suns

What we learned as Steph struggles in loss to KD, Suns originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Thanksgiving dinner and two days off was not a successful recipe for the Warriors to snap their losing streak as they fell 113-105 Saturday night to the Phoenix Suns at the Footprint Center.

The Warriors have lost four games in a row, dropping them to 12-7 this season.

It wasn’t for lack of struggle though.

The Warriors went on a 13-3 run down the stretch, turning what appeared to be a blowout into a game until the final minute. But it was too little, too late. They outscored the Suns by 10 in the third quarter and won the second half by nine points. A 17-point halftime hole buried Golden State on the road.

Steph Curry scored 23 points, but on 8-of-21 shooting and 3-of-10 beyond the arc, with 21 of his points coming in the second half.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ latest loss.

Podz gets the starting nodz

Out goes Lindy Waters and in comes Brandin Podziemski. As coach Steve Kerr looked for answers to snap the Warriors’ losing streak, he put forth a new starting lineup. The Warriors have played 19 games and used 10 different starting lineups.

Curry, Podziemski, Andrew WigginsDraymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis got the call for the first time together, and were solid together, even though Kevon Looney replaced Jackson-Davis to start the second half.

Podziemski’s determination has taken a back seat this season as he has struggled to shoot. How he began Saturday night in Phoenix is ​​exactly what Kerr wants to see. When he went to the bench at the 5:50 mark, Podziemski already had eight points, two rebounds and an assist, going a perfect 3 of 3 from the field while making both of his 3-point attempts with the Warriors up 18-16 .

Podziemski’s two threes in the first quarter were the most he’s made in a full game in exactly a month, when he made two 3-pointers against the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 30. Podziemski ended up filling the stat sheet with 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists against the Suns, a big step forward for the young guard.

burning-hot suns

From the stats and the eye test, the first half on Saturday night looked like the Suns’ offense was confusing their G League affiliate the way the Warriors’ defense was playing. The strategy was simple and the Suns couldn’t miss.

They would drive and the Warriors would collapse as a team, causing kickouts, great ball movement and a barrage of threes. The Suns made 23 shots in the first half and collected 21 assists. It’s absurd efficiency.

Through the first two quarters, when the Suns had a 17-point lead, they made 14 threes, double their misses. The Suns had an 18 point advantage from deep which made all the difference. By halftime, six Suns had made a 3-pointer — all of whom made multiple threes.

Golden State made the right adjustments in the second half, starting in the third quarter, when Phoenix made just two of its eight 3-pointers. The Suns then made two of their six threes in the fourth quarter, a far cry from their stellar first half.

Steph’s slow start hurts

Curry’s return from bilateral knee pain took some time to shake off the rust. Too much time.

Off the dribble, Curry couldn’t get past his defenders early. He also couldn’t cash in from deep. Curry in the first quarter took two shots and missed both. In the second quarter, he tried three more times and failed to connect.

That gave him two points — both free throws — at halftime without a single made shot in five attempts. His age and health looked obvious, and even a little worrying. Until the third quarter.

It’s no mistake that when Curry got going, so did the Warriors. They outscored the Suns 29-19 in the third quarter to cut their deficit to just seven points, while Curry scored 15 points in the quarter, going 5 of 9 from the field and 3 of 3 on 3-pointers.

But there wasn’t a Curry flurry to save the Warriors in the fourth quarter. The concerns were mostly erased in the second half. The Warriors’ lack of another true scoring star was also evident.

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