Steph Curry called on the Golden State Warriors to find focus and urgency ahead of the NBA playoffs after the reigning champions fell to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.
Curry and co. lost 112-109 to the Nuggets at the Ball Arena in Denver, with the Western Conference top seeds securing a huge win over Golden State without MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic. The Serbian - a two-time MVP winner - was absent due to a nagging calf injury, but Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray stepped up with 29 and 26 points respectively.
Ultimately, a win for the Warriors would have been enormous in the incredibly tight race for the postseason. Golden State - who have been woeful on the road this season - led the Nuggets by 10 after the first quarter only to fall apart as Denver clawed their way back.
The agonising defeat was confirmed when Klay Thompson’s wide open and potentially game-winning three in the final seconds fell just short, while his following effort was blocked.
This means the Warriors - who won their fourth championship in the last eight seasons when they defeated the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals - are now in a fight to avoid the play-in tournament. The Lakers currently own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Warriors.
The loss moves Golden State to 41-38, tied with the LA Clippers and just a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans to avoid the play-in tournament. If the Warriors had defeated the Nuggets on Sunday, their postseason picture would appear far more clear - and Curry vented his frustration after the defeat.
“The grit and the fight allowed us to steal one game we had no business being in,” the 35-year-old said. “We’ve gotta come to a realisation, like, if we’re gonna do anything in a playoff kind of scenario, a game like tonight can’t happen.”
After turning the ball over just once in the first quarter, Golden State added 14 more in the remaining three quarters while they were bullied defensively as Denver - without Jokic - grabbed 17 offensive rebounds. The Warriors suffered a number of other defensive breakdowns and consistently suffered offensively.
While Curry scored 21 and Thompson added 25 points, the Warriors shot 9-of-42 from three-point range, which highlights the poor shot selection from the entire roster. The result could cost the franchise a top-six seed as a result.
Curry and the Warriors take on the 38-41 Oklahoma City Thunder in their next contest on Tuesday night. They close their regular season campaign against the high-flying Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers.
