Curry’s 48 Points Can’t Prevent Warriors’ Second Straight Loss
curry-48-points-cant-prevent-warriors-second-straight-loss
PORTLAND, Ore. — Stephen Curry erupted for 48 points and a season-high 12 three-pointers on Sunday night, yet the Golden State Warriors fell 136-131 to the Portland Trail Blazers, dropping to 13-14 on the season.
The defeat was Golden State’s second in a row and came in spite of Curry scoring 87 points over his two games since returning from a quad injury. Head coach Steve Kerr shouldered blame afterward, telling reporters, “I’m not doing my job well this year.”
Curry’s performance pushed him past Michael Jordan for the most 40-point games by a player after turning 30, but the milestone was overshadowed by another late collapse. The Warriors surrendered 40 points in the fourth quarter and let a 10-point lead slip away in the final 10 minutes.
Turnovers and rotation changes fuel slide
Turnovers remained a focal point. Golden State committed 18 against Portland—eight by Draymond Green—and is averaging 16 per game, the sixth-highest figure in the NBA. The Warriors are 4-11 this season when they lose the turnover battle. “Just making bad reads, bad decisions,” Green said. “Too f—ing old to be doing that.”
Offensive efficiency has been lopsided: the Warriors score at an elite rate with Curry on the court, but their production plummets when he rests. “I thought we did a better job last year putting him in position to attack,” Kerr said. “We need to get back to that.”
Instability in the starting lineup has compounded the problems. Sunday marked Golden State’s 15th different opening unit in 27 games. Forward Jonathan Kuminga has not played recently despite being healthy, and injuries throughout the roster have disrupted continuity. “I’m hoping we can correct that,” Curry said, “and have a sustained run where guys get comfortable.”
Source: Hoops Wire
