Warriors need growth for Steph Curry, Draymond Green plans to succeed – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

Steve Kerr came into this season with a plan designed just for it Stephen Curry and Draymond Greenthe oldest men on the Warriors’ roster. The coach saw an opportunity to lean into his agenda Saturday night in San Antonio.

As the Warriors took a 17-point lead over the Spurs in the final two minutes of the third quarter, Curry and Green watched from the bench. Kerr hoped to keep them there.

That’s his plan. If the Warriors play on back-to-back nights like they were in San Antonio, Curry and Green would either sit out one of the games or their minutes would be curtailed. An 81-64 lead over the rebuilding Spurs played into Kerr’s plan.

Until the Spurs tore it down. With the bench fading and the Spurs closing within four with 8:06 remaining, Kerr was forced to call on Curry and Green for the final eight minutes.

Their rescue effort was no match for the rampaging Spurs. The Warriors scored 13 points over the final 13:55, San Antonio answered with 40 and Golden State went to the airport wearing a 104-94 defeat.

“A disappointing loss because we were in control of the game in the middle of the third and it felt like we were about to break it open,” Kerr told reporters at the Frost Bank Center. “But we didn’t.”

The 33-13 run in the fourth told a whole story. The Warriors in the fourth shot 21.1 percent from the field, including 20 percent from beyond the arc. They committed four turnovers, of which San Antonio scored seven points.

The Spurs, held to 41.9 percent shooting, including 25.7 percent from deep, through three quarters recovered to shoot 52.2/33.3 percent in the fourth. They outscored the Warriors 14-11 and committed just two turnovers.

Star Center Victor Wembanyama dominatedwith 12 points, five assists and two blocks in 11 minutes.

“The way the third quarter ended was a killer,” Kerr said. “We had a 15-point lead and the ball with 35 seconds (to go), so we get a 2-on-1 and hopefully go up by 17 in the fourth. And then we get a turnover and they score five in a row, so it’s a 10-point game going into the fourth. It was an important momentum look and I thought they deserved what the Spurs did, finishing the quarter the way they did and then dominating the fourth.”

Curry, who played 33 minutes in a 112-108 win over the Pelicans in New Orleans a night earlier, had a completely forgettable night: 14 points, 5-of-16 shooting from the field, including 3-of-10 from deep. He played 24 minutes through three quarters, and his eight in the fourth were miserable: six points, six field-goal attempts, two rebounds, three turnovers and a telling minus-14.

Curry, listed as “probable” on the injury report with left knee bursitis, was productive enough to post a plus-18 through three quarters.

Green, who played 30 minutes Friday night, was no better. The fourth quarter was a disaster. He made 1 of 2 from the line, grabbed two rebounds, recorded an assist and committed three fouls in seven minutes. He was minus-12 for the quarter.

Although Green was scoreless through the first three quarters, he managed to be a plus-12 over his first 20 minutes.
None of the Golden State’s decorated vets had anything to offer.

“I’m sure everybody is (tired),” said Andrew Wiggins, who scored a team-high 20 points. “If not mentally, then physically. If not physically, then mentally. One or the other.

“But it’s the NBA. It’s basketball.”

This was Golden State’s first back-to-back road set of the 2024-25 NBA season. The next one is January 9-10 in Detroit and Indiana, with three more in the second half. There is time to come and make the necessary adjustments.

“We’re still figuring some things out,” Wiggins said. “Today would be a perfect example, especially down the stretch, where we execute when we get what we want, when we want it. But then they made it difficult for us.”

Golden State’s bench, without Jonathan Kuminga (illness) in San Antonio, has been a strength. It played mostly to form through three quarters before wilting late on.

That and the Spurs’ late energy forced Kerr to deviate from his plan for Curry and Green. That’s still appropriate and will remain in effect, but tonight made it clear that the team’s celebrated depth must continue to grow.

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