Dub Hub, Daily Warriors Links for 4/3/23: Steve Kerr blames the Warriors’ loss on ‘mindless’ performance by the team

Good Morning Dub Nation,

The Golden State Warriors missed their opportunity to solidify their place in the Western Conference playoff picture after Sunday night’s 112-110 loss against the Denver Nuggets. A win would’ve gave the Warriors a full game lead over the Los Angeles Clippers for the fifth seed, however, Sunday’s defeat brings them down to a record of 41-38 — the same loss total as four other teams in the conference.

The game started off well for the Warriors as the team finished the first quarter with an early 36-26 lead. The next two quarters, however, were a different story. The Nuggets – playing without their two-time MVP in center Nikola Jokic – came out with a sense of urgency that the Warriors were unable to match for a majority of the game. It wasn’t until a late 9-0 run to the end the fourth quarter that the Warriors were able to regain their rhythm, but by then, it was too little too late as Klay Thompson’s last second shot just missed it’s mark. Head coach Steve Kerr shared his thoughts on the Warriors’ struggles during the middle portion of the game.

The Splash Brother led the Warriors in scoring with Thompson putting up a team-high 25 points and Steph Curry chipping in with 21 points. The duo did, however, have an uncharacteristic night shooting the ball from behind the arc as they were a combined 7-of-30 on three-point attempts. Although Thompson got it going late, Curry struggled to find his shot all night long. He finished the first half without making a single three (0-of-5) and ended the night shooting 2-of-14 from deep.

Sunday’s game against the number one seed in the West was a huge test that the Warriors failed to show up for. This team shows flashes of turning on the proverbial “championship-level switch”, but with just three games remaining, the sense of urgency to avoid the play-in game has just not consistently been there. Golden State will now need to win out and hope for some help as the regular season comes to a dramatic conclusion.

Here are the rest of today’s stories:

In case you missed it from Golden State of Mind:

• Klay Thompson’s missed open three was a microcosm of the Warriors’ loss to the Nuggets
• Warriors miss another opportunity on the road, lose to Nikola Jokić-less Nuggets
• How the Warriors rained a gaggle of threes upon the Spurs
• Player grades: Warriors vs. Spurs
• Warriors guard trio scores 91 points in 130-115 victory over Spurs

Other Warriors News:

• As the Warriors head into the final week of the regular season, what’s at stake? (The Athletic)
• Steph Curry addresses uncertainty of next season, from Dray to Myers (NBC Sports Bay Area)
• Stephen Curry kicks off Underrated Tour for underrepresented golfers (Andscape)
• Kerr’s Warriors ‘didn’t deserve to win’ in costly loss to Nuggets (ESPN)
• Pistons’ James Wiseman stays patient, says success ‘going to take time’ (ESPN)

NBA News:

• NBA, NBPA agree on new 7-year collective bargaining agreement (ESPN)
• Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade headline Naismith Hall of Fame Class of 2023 (NBA)
• Nick Nurse and the Raptors seem increasingly closer to an inevitable split (The Athletic)
• The Implosion of the Dallas Mavericks (The Gaming Society)
• NBA Western Conference play-in contenders, ranked by upset potential in playoffs (SB Nation)