Turnovers, poor shooting costly in loss to Cavaliers – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

SAN FRANCISCO – For the second time in six days the Warriors were unable to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers, succumbing Saturday night at Chase Center 118-110.

Steph Curry tried his best, scoring 30 points on 9-of-24 shooting. He has reached the 30-point milestone in five of the Warriors’ 10 games this season. Curry has also made at least four 3-pointers in every game this season, further extending his NBA record. On that same night, Curry became the 35th player in league history to reach at least 22,000 career points. 

However, Curry was unable to score in the fourth quarter and received minimal support. Klay Thompson contributed 14 points and Andrew Wiggins added 13, while Jonathan Kuminga led the Warriors’ bench with 12 points.

The Cavs, on the other hand, put forth a strong team effort. Six Cavs players hit double figures, with Caris LeVert scoring a whopping 22 points off the bench. His performance marked the highest points scored by a bench player against the Warriors this season. All five of their starters also scored 12 or more points.

The Warriors’ own mistakes proved to be their downfall. With 20 turnovers, the Cavs were able to convert these into 32 points. The Cavs also secured 12 steals, capitalizing on their status as the younger, faster and longer team.

Here are three key takeaways from the Warriors’ second straight loss.

Second-Quarter Scaries

The Warriors appeared to have learned important lessons from their previous matchup against the Cavs, evident in the first quarter. However, things took a turn for the worse in the second quarter for the Dubs. 

Darius Garland set the pace with a 3-pointer to start the second quarter, propelling Cleveland’s offense to take control. The Warriors were outscored 38-21 in the second quarter, leading to a 16-point deficit going into halftime. The Cavs shot 54.2 percent from the field in the second quarter, with a solid 54.5 percent from beyond the arc (6 of 11), along with six points from free throws. Notably, the Cavs did not commit a single turnover, with five players already in double figures. 

Meanwhile, the Warriors only had one player scoring 10 or more points in the first half, with Curry reaching 17. 

In the second quarter, the Warriors only had a 35 percent shooting accuracy overall and 22.2 percent on 3-pointers. They managed to score only one second-chance point in the second quarter compared to 11 in the first. The Cavs dominated in the paint, scoring 14 points, while the Warriors only managed four. By halftime, the Warriors had only 11 assists but nine turnovers, with the Cavs already converting these turnovers into 15 points.

The Duality of Draymond

After returning from an eight-game series on the road, the Warriors seemed to lack energy and zeal. However, Draymond Green was prepared to provide the much-needed spark. Unfortunately, Green was ejected from the game. 

Green received a technical foul for arguing with a ref after a loose ball foul midway through the second quarter. Following a video review in the next quarter, Green was shown to have cleanly stolen the ball from Donovan Mitchell, resulting in a loose ball foul. In response, Mitchell fouled Green. Even though the video review downgraded Mitchell’s foul, Green was ejected due to his reaction. 

Although Green ignited the Warriors during the third quarter, his absence was felt. The Warriors outscored the Cavs 31-16 in the third, narrowing the deficit to one point going into the fourth.

Cold Klay 

Klay Thompson usually finds his shooting rhythm as the season progresses. However, the Warriors could have used a solid performance from him. Yet, it did not occur on Saturday night. 

Thompson is yet to score 20 points through nine games this season. His highest score was 19, which he attained in the third game. His performance against the Cavs was disappointing, with only nine of his 14 points coming in the final quarter. He was unable to score in the third quarter while accumulating as many fouls and turnovers as successful shots. He only managed to shoot 5 of 16 from the field and 2 of 5 on 3-point attempts.  

This season, Thompson’s average of 16.1 points is his lowest since his rookie year. 

Given that he is in a contract year and at 33 years old, the Warriors hope that this is a temporary situation and not a lingering issue.

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