What we learned as Steph battles loss to KD and Suns

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

Thanksgiving dinner and two days off didn’t allow the Warriors to end their losing streak, as they lost 113-105 Saturday night to the Phoenix Suns at the Footprint Center.

The Warriors have lost four straight games, dropping them to 12-7 on the season.

It wasn’t for lack of fighting, however.

The Warriors went on a 13-3 run down the stretch, turning what seemed like a blowout into a battle 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 hole at halftime buried Golden State on the road.

Steph Curry scored 23 points but on 8 of 21 shooting and 3 of 10 from 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 green lightz

Lindy Waters comes out and Brandin Podziemski arrives. As coach Steve Kerr searched for answers to end the Warriors’ losing streak, he introduced another new starting lineup. The Warriors have played 19 games and used 10 different starting lineups.

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

Podziemski’s decisiveness has taken a backseat this season as he has struggled to shoot. The way he started Saturday night in Phoenix is ​​exactly what Kerr wants to see. By the time he got to the bench at 5:50, 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 leading 18 – 16.

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

Scorching suns

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

They were driving and the Warriors were collapsing as a team, causing kickouts, great ball movement and a barrage of threes. The Suns made 23 shots in the first half and had 21 assists. This is absurdly efficient.

In the first two quarters, with the Suns holding a 17-point lead, they made 14 threes, double the number they missed. The Suns had an 18-point advantage deep, which made all the difference. By halftime, six Suns had made 3-pointers – all of whom had 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 excellent first half.

Steph’s slow starts hurt

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

Off the dribble, Curry couldn’t get past his defenders early on. He couldn’t take advantage of the fund either. 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 on free throws – at halftime without a single shot in five attempts. His age and health seemed obvious, and even a little worrying. Until the third quarter.

It’s no mistake that once Curry gets going, so do 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 from 3-point range.

But there was no burst from Curry to save the Warriors in the fourth quarter. The concerns were mostly erased in the second half. The Warriors’ lack of a second true star was also evident.

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