The Warriors kept it close through the two quarters, but turnovers and a lack of available bodies caught up to them in the second half of Thursday’s 116-86 loss to the Lakers at Chase Center.
The Warriors kept it close through the two quarters, but turnovers and a lack of available bodies caught up to them in the second half of Thursday’s 116-86 loss to the Lakers at Chase Center.
TEAM LEADERS
Andrew Wiggins was a late scratch due to upper back spasms, and the Warriors were even more shorthanded after Draymond Green was ejected early in the second quarter. Green, who had missed the prior two games with a right pelvic contusion, tallied two points and four assists in 10 minutes but was thrown out of the game for arguing a pair of fouls in quick succession.
The Lakers were also shorthanded, as LeBron James sat out the game with groin soreness. In his absence, Los Angeles leaned on Anthony Davis and Kyle Kuzma, who combined for 41 points as Los Angeles shot 51.7 percent for the game.
The Warriors picked up assists assists on 17 of their 21 field goals over the first two quarters and entered the break down by just two, but the Lakers opened the game up in the third quarter. Los Angeles made 10 of their first 11 shots in the third quarter and outscored the Dubs 40-17 in the period.
Rookie forward Eric Paschall was a bright spot for the Warriors, scoring 23 points on 7-for-14 shooting in 27 minutes off the bench. Paschall did his damage in bunches, scoring eight points in the final two and a half minutes of the second quarter, including a pair of two-handed slams in traffic.
But in the end, the Warriors couldn’t keep up with the Lakers. And it didn’t help that the Dubs turned it over a season-high 27 times, leading to 26 points for Los Angeles. The Warriors started the game sloppy with seven turnovers in the first quarter, and they closed it in similar fashion, at one point turning it over on four straight possessions in the final period.
The loss extends the Warriors losing streak to eight games, and they have also lost eight straight at home, marking their longest such streak since losing nine straight at home in 2001. The Dubs will look for better results on the road as they take a one-game trip to Phoenix to face the Suns on Saturday.
More Notables ...
- Golden State fell to 7-23 (.233) at home and has lost a season-high eight consecutive games at Chase Center… The last time the Warriors lost eight-straight games at home in a single season was the 2000-01 season when they lost nine consecutive.
- The Warriors trail the Lakers 3-0 in the current season series, prior to this season, the last time Golden State lost its season series vs. the Lakers was the 2011-12 season (3-1).
- The Warriors deployed their 30th unique starting lineup of the season, the most in a single season since a franchise-record 49 was used in 2009-10 (starters were first tracked in 1970-71).
- Golden State has failed to win a game when scoring 99-or-fewer points this season (0-17).
- The Warriors committed a season-high 27 turnovers (previous: 25 on 12/2 at ATL).
- Golden State attempted a season-low 10 shots from the free throw line (previous: 11 on 1/18 vs. ORL).
- Tonight marked Golden State’s 373rd consecutive sellout.
- Jordan Poole dished out a career-high eight assists and extended his career-best double-figure scoring streak to eight-straight games, averaging 15.8 points per game over that span.
- Eric Paschall posted his 11th game scoring 20-or-more points and has now recorded five consecutive outings of 10-plus points (38 games of double-digit scoring overall this season) and is averaging 14.4 points per game over that span… He made a career-high-tying eight shots from the free throw line.
- Mychal Mulder, who was signed to a 10-day contract today, appeared in his first-ever NBA game.
- Dragan Bender made his first start as a Warrior and 65th of his career.