4 things that went wrong for Warriors against the Suns
The Golden State Warriors suffered their ninth defeat of the season, after losing 123-115 againstb the Phoenix Suns on the road on Wednesday. Golden State remains below .500 after losing for the seventh time in the past eight games and have won only twice over the past 10 games. Currently 11th in the West standings, the Warriors have won just seven of their first 16 games.
Against a fellow title contender in Phoenix, Golden State struggled on both ends as it seeks to build some momentum and get its season back on track.
Let's take a look at four things that didn't work well for Golden State in its ninth loss of the season.
4 things that went wrong for Warriors against the Suns
#4 - Defense
The Golden State Warriors have struggled defensively all season long. They have one of the worst defensive ratings in the league, allowing 114.6 points per 100 possessions.
On Wednesday, they allowed 123 points against a great offensive team, like the Suns. Their poor effort on one end of the floor cost them a chance to turn things around after trailing by as many as 23 points in the third quarter (83-60).
"Foul, foul, foul, foul," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said afterwards, via NBA.com. "Can't win in the NBA if you're constantly trying to attack a set defense after free throws and you're basically giving up 44 points."
Devin Booker and Kevin Durant combined for an impressive 28-for-29 from the free-throw line, as the Suns went to the line 52 times in the game (44/52).
#3 - Steph Curry's shooting struggles
Steph Curry is trying to find his rhythm again after missing a couple of games last week with an injury. He had a poor performance offensively against the Suns, maybe one of his worst so far in the season.
He spent almost 28 minutes on the floor and went for just 16 points, along with six assists, while shooting 6 of 15 from the field and 1 for 8 from beyond the arc. Without a doubt, Curry's struggles cost the Warriors a chance to fight for the win.
#2 - Warriors' performance in the second quarter
The Warriors led by five after the end of the opening quarter (31-26). They trailed by 16 at halftime (63-47). The Suns outscored them 37-16 in the second quarter to take the upper hand and never look back.
Golden State never managed to come back from that double-digit deficit. It allowed 28 or more points in three of the four quarters, which shows how poor it played defensively.
#1 - Chris Paul's ejection
Chris Paul's ejection certainly affected Golden State, causing a lot of frustration that led to poor decisions on both ends and let Phoenix take control in the game.
Paul got a couple of technical fouls from Scott Foster and was ejected. Kerr got another technical and that gave the Suns three extra free throws. The All-Star guard later said that it's personal with the veteran official.
"I didn't think Chris deserved to be ejected. The first tech? Absolutely. But I thought the second one was unnecessary. Everybody gets frustrated out there, but that's up to the official," Steve Kerr said.
Golden State will look to return to the winning track on Friday when it hosts the San Antonio Spurs (3-12), who are on a 10-game losing skid.