Steph Curry says Warriors’ 0-7 road record ‘pretty disappointing’ after
latest loss to Kings
The Warriors are back in action Monday when they host the San Antonio Spurs.
>Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots over Sacramento
Kings guard Davion Mitchell (15) during the first quarter of an NBA
basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022. (AP
Photo/Randall Benton)
By MADELINE KENNEY | mkenney@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: November 13, 2022 at 6:08 p.m. | UPDATED: November 14, 2022
at 6:25 a.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/11/13/warriors-blow-15-point-lead-lose-to-kings-to-remain-winless-on-the-road/

SACRAMENTO — Stephen Curry isn’t paying attention to the Western
Conference standings. It’s too early to get too consumed with that, he
said Friday night.

It’s the Warriors’ 5-8 record that he can’t help but notice.

“Anytime you’re below .500, it’s not a good thing to look at next to
your team name,” he said. “You’d like to feel like you’re not too far
off from getting on a run and putting a string of games together. We
obviously have to play better on the road but it’s real early to get too
consumed with that.”

Curry’s mind wandered Sunday night to what went wrong in Golden State’s
latest frustrating road loss to the Kings.

The Warriors opened the game strong, pulling out to a 15-point lead in
the first quarter that they blew before halftime. They clawed their way
back from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to hold a
three-point edge with about four minutes left in the game. But they
couldn’t hold on, falling to the Kings 122-115.

It’s becoming a trend for the Warriors, who haven’t been able to get the
job done down the stretch. Golden State, which has yet to win a game on
the road this season, has lost five games this season by seven or less
points.

“It’s not a good feeling to know we’ve had three or four legit kind of
opportunities to close out a game,” Curry said after the Warriors’ most
recent loss. “It’s more understanding how thin the margin is throughout
the meat of the game that puts you in that position for a team that’s
feeling good about themselves at home and it’s a two possession game… We
made the game a lot harder than we needed to.”

The Warriors are the first defending champions to open the season 0-7 on
the road in recent memory. No Warriors team since 1989 has started a
season by losing its first seven road games since 1989, according to
ESPN. It’s a “pretty disappointing” record, says Curry, who willed the
Warriors to back-to-back home wins last week with his fourth-quarter
heroics.

“That’s tough,” said Curry, who finished with a team-high 27 points.
“You kind of convince yourself you could be .500 with the way things
have gone. But we’re 0-7, so they showed a lot more life tonight and a
lot more consistency to try to maintain momentum in the game. Just got
to keep figuring it out in terms of trying to put together a complete
game… We got to meet that intensity especially on the defensive end. But
pretty disappointing to be 0-7, for sure.”

Draymond Green also thought it was “crazy” and “insane” that the
Warriors have yet to win a road game a month into the season.

“You have to understand that your margin of error on the road is a lot
less than what it is at home,” he said.

Everything seemed to be clicking for the Warriors in the first quarter.
They led by as many as 15 points, shooting 60.9% from the field and
going 6-of-11 (54.5%) from deep in the opening 12 minutes. Curry was
having his way, scoring 13 in the first while the Warriors defense
stifled the Kings, who scored only 26 points.

But it all came crashing down in the second.

The momentum shifted in favor of the Kings, who outscored the Warriors
38-23 in that quarter. The Warriors had more turnovers (eight) in the
second period than they did in the entire second half (five.)

“The turnovers hurt us” in the second, coach Steve Kerr said. “We
weren’t executing well offensively, that hurt our defense, put us on our
heels some. We had a 15-point lead and that evaporated pretty quickly.”

The Warriors, who have given up 30 or more points in a quarter in 12 of
their first 13 games, had a chance to win it down the stretch. A Klay
Thompson 3-pointer gave them a lead and a cutting layup by Green
extended it. But the Kings dominated the battle of the boards,
outrebounding the Warriors 15-8 in the fourth, which ultimately was the
difference.

“They just outplayed us,” Kerr said. “Give them credit… [They] deserved
to win.

>RELATED ARTICLES
James Wiseman to spend ‘extended period’ in Santa Cruz with Warriors’
G League team
Tim Hardaway apologizes on air for insensitive comment during Run TMC
Warriors broadcast
Jordan Poole erupts for 36 points in Warriors’ blowout win over Spurs
Run TMC weighs in on Warriors’ 0-7 road record
Warriors pause partnership with FTX after cryptocurrency firm files
for bankruptcy

Kings center Domantas Sabonis finished with 26 points, 22 rebounds and
eight assists. Twelve of his boards came in the second half.
Andrew Wiggins contributed 26 points and Thompson 17 on 6-of-16
shooting. Thompson also had seven rebounds. Kevon Looney led the
Warriors with 10 rebounds. He also had eight points.

Golden State has a quick turnaround and will be back in action Monday
when the team hosts the San Antonio Spurs before traveling to Phoenix.
Thompson, who sat out on the back end of the Warriors’ last two sets of
back-to-backs, likely won’t play Monday. It’s unclear whether Kerr will
rest any of his other starters as he did once prior.

But Curry plans to play.

“See you there,” he said.