Warriors start second half with 124-111 loss to the Lakers, dropping below .500
Going up against LeBron and AD, the Warriors fell to a Lakers team led by Malik Beasley.
The end of All-Star weekend meant the return of Golden State Warriors basketball and another reminder for Dub Nation that this team is treading water without a healthy Steph Curry. Facing off against the Los Angeles Lakers on the road, the Warriors were routed in a 124-111 loss that was more of a blowout than the final score indicates.
Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green, and Kevon Looney all offer positive value when they are on the court, but with those three handling the bulk of frontcourt reps, the pressure on Golden State’s guards and wings to produce offensively is even more immense. Curry’s all-time greatness has allowed the Warriors to win despite similarly lopsided rosters in the past.
However, with Curry and Andrew Wiggins sidelined, the Dubs are asking a lot of their remaining depth. They can ill afford poor shooting performances from Jordan Poole (3-for-13 from the field) and Donte DiVincenzo (2-for-7 from the field), who both never found their shot on Thursday. Klay Thompson had a solid overall night, but his 22 points on 19 shot attempts were far from enough firepower for the Dubs to keep up with the Lakers.
So that’s how the Warriors could find themselves in garbage time, headed for a blowout loss with several minutes left in the fourth quarter despite holding Anthony Davis and LeBron James to a combined 8-for-25 shooting from the field. Instead, Lakers trade deadline acquisition Malik Beasley caught fire from deep, making 7-of-11 from behind the arc, and finished with a game-high 25 points.
Of the few bright spots for the Warriors, Ty Jerome seemed to further solidify his eventual spot on the team’s active roster, adding 20 points in nearly 30 minutes off the bench. Rookie first-round pick Patrick Baldwin Jr. had some impressive flashes in the final minutes, making a trio of triples en route to 11 points in just over 10 minutes of action. Moses Moody scored 8 points in the same amount of playing time.
Now 29-30, the Warriors will return home, when they will host the Houston Rockets at the Chase Center tomorrow night.