"We the worst defending champs in history"- NBA fans troll the Warriors after they fall to the Nuggets without Nikola JokicΒ
The Golden State Warriors' road woes continued after they lost 112-110 to the Nikola Jokic-less Denver Nuggets on Sunday at Ball Arena. The Warriors dropped to 9-30 away from home. The loss against Denver proved more embarrassing due to Jokic's absence.
The Warriors had a solid opportunity to create separation from teams in the play-in bracket, aiming to hunt them down in the standings. However, the Dubs are tied with the sixth-placed Clippers, seventh-placed Lakers and eighth-placed Pelicans in the loss column.
Nobody expected the defending champions to be in this position at the start of the season. They came into the year as heavy favorites to win the Western Conference, but as things stand, the Dubs could struggle to even get past the first round, especially if they don't have homecourt advantage.
Golden State's fans were visibly upset with the road loss against the Nikola Jokic-less Denver Nuggets. One fan wrote on Twitter:
"Not a surprise we the worst defending champs in history lol"
@TheNBACentral Not a surprise we the worst defending champs in history ππlol
More reactions followed:
@TheNBACentral https://t.co/kpjHIaeFLT
@TheNBACentral when we miss playoffs cuz we were trying to get kings matchup https://t.co/ml4OjHeUsm
@TheNBACentral warriors are ducking their father KD
@TheNBACentral https://t.co/MkeavFAYbv
@TheNBACentral running from the suns https://t.co/JPGf7dIpvl
@TheNBACentral Steph and klay were a combined 17-55 πππππππππ
@TheNBACentral Curry went 8-28 today. I need him arrested https://t.co/SX0EANCcC2
@TheNBACentral Post curryβs airball
@TheNBACentral https://t.co/3HMfSJTc4H
@TheNBACentral Hope Steph had his fun while it lasted π https://t.co/El2M5vj1im
@TheNBACentral Klay walking around pointing at his fingers this time? π
Steph Curry and Klay Thompson underperform in Warriors' road loss to Denver
The Golden State Warriors got a hot start against the Denver Nuggets, taking a 36-26 lead in the first quarter. From there on, the Nuggets outscored them 86-74 across the last three quarters. The Warriors' offense, particularly Klay Thompson and Steph Curry, went cold during that stretch.
Thompson scored 25 points but shot a measly 9-of-28, including 5-of-16 from 3-point range. Meanwhile, Curry tallied 21, shooting 8-of-28, including 2-of-14 from deep. The Dubs were going to struggle with the "Splash Bros" misfiring.
Donte DiVincenzo and Jordan Poole's efficient outings kept the defending champions in the game late. The former had 18 points and 13 rebounds on 8-of-12 shooting, while the latter finished with 17 points on 7-of-13 shot attempts.
Golden State tried a late comeback in the game when they were down nine (103-112) with 2:14 left and made it a two-point game (110-112) with 20 seconds to go. However, Klay Thompson missed the go-ahead 3-pointer and had his attempt blocked on the second try.
The Dubs have struggled to keep their focus on the road all year. Turnovers and transition defense are two areas they have largely struggled with, and that was on display against the Nuggets. Golden State cannot afford these errors to follow them in the playoffs.
It's increasingly looking like they might not have a homecourt advantage, with the fourth-placed Suns now 2.5 games ahead.