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Steve Kerr: ‘Our defense has just been bad’

Postgame Roundup: See what the Warriors had to say following their loss against the Clippers on Monday night.

Golden State Warriors v Los Angeles Clippers Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images

The Golden State Warriors fell flat against the Los Angeles Clippers in a 119-104 loss on Monday night. Stephen Curry powered the offense in this one, but it wasn’t enough to make up for the team’s subpar performance on defense. Here’s some takeaways from the Warriors’ postgame pressers.

Steve Kerr talks about the team’s defensive struggles

The main talking point during the Warriors’ postgame was defense. Golden State has a reputation as one of the best defensive teams in the league this season, however they didn’t show it on Monday as the Clippers dictated control on that side of the floor. In their last 4 games, the Warriors rank 25th in defensive rating resulting in a 1-3 record during that span.

Here’s what head coach Steve Kerr had to say about his team:

Warriors’ players on the team’s defensive performance

Some of Golden State’s defensive issues can be attributed to the injuries and fatigue of their roster. The back injury to Draymond Green has been huge as he was responsible for cleaning up his teammates’ mistakes on the defensive side of the floor. His IQ and ability to identify the need for help, provide that help, and recover back into position wherever he is needed has been irreplaceable.

Because of Green’s absence and the team’s lack of depth in the front court, the Warriors have resorted to playing more small ball. The physical toll of small ball is beginning to show as the Warriors looked fatigue — a stark difference from the usual high-energy, stingy defense that fans are accustomed to seeing from them.

Here’s All-Stars Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins discussing the team’s defense:

Quote of the Night

The quote of the night belongs to Clippers head coach Ty Lue who praised Curry’s offensive ability. Despite having the Clipper’s full defensive attention, Curry was still able to score 33 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the three-point line.

This led Ty Lue to say Curry is ‘the most dangerous player in the league’:

Recap

Monday’s loss marks the first time the Warriors were defeated by an LA team this season. They are now five games behind the Phoenix Suns for the top spot in the West and only two games ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies for the 2nd seed. They will now head back home to play the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday for their final game before the All-Star Break.

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