Steve Kerr: “We desperately need Draymond”

The Golden State Warriors lost to the Dallas Mavericks by a score of 113-122. The Warriors had more fight in the 4th quarter of this one than they did in their previous matchup against Dallas, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback. Here’s some takeaways from the Warriors postgame pressers:

Steve Kerr talks about defense

The Warriors defense struggled once again as Luka Doncic torched them for a statline of 41 points, 9 assist, and 10 rebounds. Just like the defensive game plan for Stephen Curry, teams have to double Doncic, getting the ball out of his hands and forcing the rest of the defense to make rotations. This makes Dallas a matchup where Draymond Green’s leadership on defense is really missed. Without Green to direct everyone in place, the Warriors were late on their rotations leaving Dallas’ offense with open threes.

Here’s head coach Steve Kerr on Draymond Green:

Here’s Kerr discussing the game:

Splash Brothers strange shooting night

Although Curry played a solid game, many will talk about his zero shot attempts in the fourth despite playing the entire quarter. Dallas trapped him on every screen forcing him to rely on his open teammates to make plays. Although this was the correct decision to be made and he finished the quarter with 5 assists, Curry says he still needs to find a way to get himself more shots whenever he gets trapped.

Here’s Kerr on Dallas’ defense on Curry:

Meanwhile, Klay Thompson struggled in his return after missing two games due to general illness. He finished with 16 points on 6-of-17 shooting from the field and 2-of-8 from the three point line. It was an off-shooting night for Thompson as he had some uncharacteristically bad misses on open shots.

Kerr talks about Thompson’s rough offensive night:

Moses Moody’s 4th quarter

The rookies came up big late in the 4th quarter of this one. Jonathan Kuminga hit a three that sparked a Warriors run, but it was Moses Moody’s clutch shooting that stood out the most. Moody scored 13 points including 3-of-3 from the three point line. He also finished with 2 assists including one after he made a nice read on a drive to find an open Kevon Looney for the dunk.

Here’s Moody on his performance:

Here’s Kerr on giving Moody more playing time:

Here’s Thompson on Moody:

Recap

The Warriors have lost 3-games in a row and move to 43-20 on the season. They lead the Memphis Grizzlies by a half game for the second seed in the West and now trail the Phoenix Suns by 7.5 for the top spot. Golden State will continue their road trip with a matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.