Golden State Warriors: Explaining the Loss to the Jazz
The Golden State Warriors entered last night’s matchup against the Utah Jazz as the clear favorites to win given their superior record, their experience, and the higher amount of talent up and down their roster.
However, the Jazz made the Warriors look like the underdogs last night, as the Jazz led the Warriors for the entire game (which was the first time this season that the Warriors never led in a game), and they ultimately beat the Warriors 110-100.
With this loss, the Warriors now have a 36-8 record, which is now second best in the NBA behind the Atlanta Hawks’ 39-8 record.
In last night’s loss, the Warriors appeared to struggle in many facets of the game including their shot selection, their rebounding, and their passing, which can be attributed to their general lack of energy. They appeared sluggish last night and lacked the usual energy that gives them a distinct advantage, especially in the transition game, which is a key part to their success.
The loss to the Jazz is their second consecutive loss and also adds to a string of games where they haven’t looked quite like themselves, especially defensively. Steve Kerr expanded on this recent trend to Monte Poole of CSN Bay Area and other local reporters after the game:
"“That’s two games in a row we’ve been hammered on the boards,” coach Steve Kerr said, referring to a 61-48 rebounding deficit against the Bulls on Tuesday. “Our defense has let us down three games in a row. We’ve given up (114 points, 113 and 110 . . . and gotten hurt on the boards.“I don’t mind the points if it’s a fast game; if it’s a high-possession game, points don’t always indicate your defensive effort. But the rebound totals do. And the shooting percentage does. They shot about 46, which is too high for us.”"
Kerr also had this to say after the game, which summed up the loss well:
Steve Kerr: "The only way you can win is if you bring the necessary energy and focus, and we didn’t have enough life to win a game."
— Rusty Simmons (@JRustySimmons) January 31, 2015
Andrew Bogut, who had missed the Warriors’ previous game against the Chicago Bulls because of the flu, wasn’t pleased with his individual performance in last night’s loss. He might not have been 100 percent, but he seemed almost humiliated with the amount of effort he played with last night. Here’s what Bogut said to Poole and other reporters after the game:
"“Even defensively, I was terrible,” he said after the loss at Energy Solutions Arena. “Couldn’t help out the team. Usually, if I have a bad offensive game I know I can help us defensively and at least control the boards. “They kicked my ass tonight, so I’ve got to bounce back tomorrow.”…“It’s the worst game I played all year,” he said. “No energy. I wasn’t doing (well) out there or in a good rhythm. Just couldn’t get going. We’ve got to bounce back tomorrow night.”"
The Warriors didn’t lose solely because of Bogut’s effort, but he certainly appeared to be fatigued or lacking some of the usual energy and tenacity that he brings on the defensive end every night. However, it wasn’t just Bogut that looked sluggish.
Even though the Warriors had a few days off between their game against the Bulls and their game against the Jazz last night, the Warriors, as a team, didn’t bring the same energy last night, which slowed down their offense and limited their fast breaks, effectively taking away their own strengths.
In addition to Bogut, both Andre Iguodala and Leandro Barbosa spoke about last night’s loss:
Andre Iguodala: "We have to respect the game and respect the way you’re supposed to play the game defensively."
— Rusty Simmons (@JRustySimmons) January 31, 2015
Leandro Barbosa: "Things were very ugly on our side, and there was nothing we could do. … It was a tough game for us."
— Rusty Simmons (@JRustySimmons) January 31, 2015
The Warriors hope to bounce back tonight against the Phoenix Suns at Oracle Arena at 7:30 PM.