Warriors fall to Clippers despite Curry's 50 points as road record continues to decline
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Warriors fall to Clippers despite Curry's 50 points as road record continues to decline
Get these dudes back to Chase Center ASAP!
This is one of the most fascinating seasons I’ve seen as a Golden State Warrior fanatic, and that’s saying something. I’ve been through some years of depressing fandom, watching as the likes of the 2001 Warriors win 17 games (going 6-35 on the road!).
How many of y’all remember rooting for Antawn Jamison, Bobby Sura, and Erick Dampier back in 2001? I used to peruse the boxscores after the games in the Oakland Tribune, saying things to myself like, “Hmmm if you throw out that first quarter, the Warriors actually outscored the Shaq and Kobe Lakers over the last three periods!”.
I also remembered watching Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, and Monta Ellis light up the scoreboard the season after We Believe, going toe-to-toe on a nightly basis with elite NBA squads. After knocking off the #1 seeded Mavericks the playoff run before, I believed it was a given that those Warriors would be marauding through the postseason again. They were giving Kobe PROBLEMS.
That exciting team had the fourth ranked offense in the league. They were also exciting for opposing fans because they had the 23rd ranked defense.. That led to them ultimately becoming a footnote in NBA history, winning the most amount of games without making the playoffs. By that time I was an active internet user in college, sadly scrolling past headlines like this:
Tough. I also witnessed the Stephen Curry Warrior battle out of the trenches to become champions, morphing into arguably the greatest team of all time, then enduring into a modern dynasty, cemented by their gritty fourth championship run during last summer.
Watching the current iteration of the Dubs is like a bizarre amalgamation of seasons past, further evidenced by last night’s entertaining but ultimately disappointing 134-126 loss to the L.A. Clippers.
Stephen Curry went absolutely nuclear, scoring 50 points on an unreal 20-of-28 shooting from the field, nailing 8-of-14 triples. And to do it on a team with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook?! That’s basically Curry reminding the entire planet that he’s unguardable.
But we’ve seen other Warriors going on scoring rampages in losing efforts. Antawn Jamison once dropped 51 points on the Seattle Supersonics in a game the Warriors lost by 16. I watched it live, stunned that no matter how many points Jamison scored, the Warriors’ defense couldn’t sustain any meaningful deterrent.
Annnd last night the Warriors couldn’t defend to save their lives either, a common occurrence on the road this season. Giving up 134 points is atrocious, and that’s the third straight road game the Dubs have surrendered 130+ points (131 to the Ja Morant-less Grizzlies and 137 to the OKC Thunder).
The Warriors’ road record of 7-26 echoes that of their early 2000s failures, when Golden State used to be circled on the calendar as easy money for any home crowd. Sure this team is missing an All-Star in Andrew Wiggins and still haven’t seen the return of X-Factor Gary Payton II. Those two in the lineup have a direct positive impact on the team’s fortunes, especially defensively. If you’re unsure, just rewind the footage of them terrorizing the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
But even without their services, somehow this team is clinging to the sixth seed in the Western Conference, in big part thanks to how dominant they’ve been at home. Their 29-7 record has included wins without their big guns. Remember Christmas Day when they didn’t have Curry and somehow humiliated the red-hot Grizzlies in Chase Center?
How can this team suffer the same injury and depth questions at home, and yet morph into a terrifying defending champion that rips the hearts out of their opponents? I’ll tell you why. It’s the same thing that made those We Believe Warriors so terrifying: you! Dub Nation’s support is the most powerful force in the NBA, capable of inspiring a struggling team to dominant performances.
When we join together in Chase Center, all that love for the guys in blue and gold and bloodlust to see their enemies vanquished is mixed together in an extremely potent cocktail.
Dub Nation, this team needs you now more than ever. Until they get their full roster together in time for the playoffs, you’re going have to be the extra teammate. And during road games, the best we can do is bombard rival teams blogs so they can feel our power. Next up? The Atlanta Hawks! What’s their blog anyways?
Warriors fall to Clippers despite Curry's 50 points as road record continues to decline
Kings have officially clinched a .500 record for the first time since ‘05-06, and the first time under someone other than Rick Adelman since … 1982-83.
OT lurker post. YouTube TV just announced a price hike. I only have it for Warriors and Giants, and I work evenings so the DVR function is my friend. Can anyone suggest an alternative where I can watch entire Warriors games not live whatever network they are on? Non-pirate options preferred. Arrr.