“They just need to play better, Steph Curry needs to play better” - Shaquille O’Neal not worried about Golden State Warriors’ recent struggles
The Golden State Warriors lost their second straight game on Thursday against the Milwaukee Bucks. Golden State never tasted the lead and the game was essentially over in the first half, with the Bucks up 77-38. It was the Warriors' second straight game of their current four-game trip.
Four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal, who knows the grind of winning a championship, is not worried about the Warriors' struggles. O'Neal won four NBA titles in his legendary career and is not worried about the Warriors' current struggles.
After the game, O'Neal said on Inside the NBA that the Warriors have a lot of excuses for their loss, including Draymond Green's injury absence. But he asserted that Golden State just need to play better.
"For Golden State, we can make a lot of excuses tonight, but we're not. They're not full strength. They just need to play better, Steph Curry needs to play better. They just need to play better," O'Neal said.
Shaquille O'Neal added that the Golden State role players are the ones who should be making the biggest adjustments. Players such as Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins and Otto Porter Jr. should know that they will not get the same shots as earlier in the season due to the return of Klay Thompson.
O'Neal also noted that role players should be ready and just re-adjust. He believes the Warriors can get out of their slump and make the much-needed adjustments to their offense.
Bucks dominating early 😳 https://t.co/btJRJnzxv2
Golden State Warriors struggle against Milwaukee Bucks in loss
The Golden State Warriors visited the Milwaukee Bucks for the second game of their current road trip. The Warriors struggled against the Bucks' defense, shooting the ball at just 34.7%. They were down by as many as 39 points and finally crashed to a 118-99 loss.
Steph Curry's shooting woes continued and he finished with just 12 points on 4-for-11 shooting. He did add eight rebounds, four assists and two steals, but it was not enough. Klay Thompson played 21 minutes and scored 11 points.
not our night
back at it tomorrow https://t.co/xu1evslpti
Andrew Wiggins started in place of Draymond Green, who missed the game due to a left calf injury. Wiggins led the Warriors with 16 points. Rookie forward Jonathan Kuminga had a good game, scoring 15 points off the bench. Golden State have two more games left on their current road trip, visiting the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Meanwhile, the Bucks were led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who posted a triple-double of 30 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. Khris Middleton had 23 points and seven assists, while Bobby Portis added 20 points. Milwaukee was just dominant all game and never gave the Golden State Warriors any chance of winning.