Warriors road woes continue in 127-119 loss to Hawks

The Golden State Warriors road losing streak extended to 10 on Friday after a 127-119 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

The Warriors defense away from the Chase Center was once again the source of their problems. The Hawks scored at least 32 points in each of the first three quarters, and finished 16-for-41 (39.0%) from three. Trae Young led the way with 25 points, 12 assists, and 6 rebounds, but John Collins (22 points), Onyeka Okongwu (19 points), Bogdan Bogdanovic (14 points), De’Andre Hunter (14 points), AJ Griffin (12 points), and Dejounte Murray (10 points) all finished in double figures.

The Hawks built a 14-point lead in the third quarter before Curry helped the Warriors get back in the game. Steph led a Warriors run to pull within three points before going to the bench with six minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Both teams dealt with dry spells offensively in the final minutes. Curry cut the Warriors deficit to a point (120-119) with a couple of minutes to go. Hawks guard Dejounte Murray split a pair of free throws, extending Atlanta’s lead to 121-119, and Curry missed an open three from the wing that would have given Golden State the lead. Instead, Collins got the rebound and was fouled by Anthony Lamb.

With both teams in the penalty, Collins went straight to the free-throw line and gave the Hawks a 123-119 lead with 58.8 seconds left on the clock. Young picked Curry’s pocket on the following possession, leading to an easy layup on the other end. With a 125-119 lead, Atlanta was in complete control and cruised to the win.

It’s easy to envision the Warriors coming away with a victory on Friday if Draymond Green had been available. However, after the veteran forward was called for his 16th technical foul of the season on Wednesday against the Clippers, Green was suspended for the game. With the Dubs defense allowing 127 points on Friday, Green’s inability to manage his relationship with referees and avoid a suspension had significant consequences.

Now 36-35 on the season, the Warriors are only a half-game ahead of the Timberwolves and Mavericks, who are both trying to avoid the play-in tournament. Golden State’s road trip continues tomorrow when they face the Memphis Grizzlies at 5:00 PM Pacific.