SALT LAKE CITY — Steve Kerr known as gamers warming up off the court docket, assembled his teaching employees and closed the locker room to the media an hour earlier than tipoff within the Delta Middle.
After quarter-hour, individuals began to trickle out of the locker room. Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, participant growth coaches, staffers. Pale-faced and tight-lipped, they appeared like ghosts.
Even after the Warriors composed themselves, they didn’t have sufficient. Golden State (25-25) began sluggish and completed slower, choking away an 11-point lead within the final three minutes. Regardless of a career-high 29 factors from Brandin Podziemski and 32 from Steph Curry, the Warriors fell, 131-128, to the Jazz.
Jordan Clarkson scored 31 factors and was a monster down the stretch, serving to Utah to a 44-point fourth quarter that stamped a watershed night time in fashionable Warriors historical past.
Due to the commerce and accidents, the Warriors had simply 10 obtainable gamers towards the Jazz, together with three two-way gamers. Jonathan Kuminga is ready to be re-evaluated for his ankle sprain subsequent Monday. Moses Moody (again pressure) was dominated out pregame. Middle Trayce Jackson-Davis was a late scratch with proper knee soreness.
They began the sport with their heads elsewhere, understandably so. They’d simply stated goodbye to Wiggins, a beloved staple of the locker room and 2022 title run hero. To not point out Dennis Schroder, Kyle Anderson and Lindy Waters III. With out the requisite focus, the Warriors fell behind 20-10 early within the recreation.
However the Warriors went on a 13-4 run to tame the Jazz and entered halftime up two factors. Brandin Podziemski gave them a jolt with 17 first-half factors.
Jackson Rowe made his NBA debut and Pat Spencer put Walker Kessler on a poster with an enormous jam within the third quarter. With so many gamers packing their baggage and dealing via logistics on relocating their households, the Warriors wanted contributions from bit gamers even towards the lowly Jazz with out Lauri Markkanen.
Spencer discovered Quinten Submit for a layup to tie the sport at 87 coming into the fourth quarter. At that time, Podziemski had 24 factors, a season-high and one shy of his career-best mark.
Curry hit a pair of 3-pointers early within the fourth to discover a rhythm and put Golden State forward. Buddy Hield additionally obtained scorching after which discovered Rowe within the nook for a triple of his personal.
Podziemski hit his career-high ninth and tenth foul photographs as Curry returned. He’d gotten clocked within the head, taking a tough hit or fall for the third time of the night time. His power matched his scoring outburst.
Curry drained a nook 3 to provide the Warriors a nine-point lead with 4 minutes left. Then he drove and kicked to Hield for the wing’s third 3 of the fourth.
The Warriors led by 11 with three minutes left after a pair of Draymond Inexperienced foul photographs.
Curry was the one Warrior to attain the remainder of the way in which. He hit a stepback jumper alongside the baseline and snuck inside for a layup, however the Jazz began hitting every little thing from deep.
Jordan Clarkson drained a pull-up 3 from above the break, then one other after Hield fell down in entrance of him. Isaiah Collier went coast-to-coast for a layup and Keyonte George hit a trey.
Utah went on an 18-4 run over 2:50, taking a three-point lead with 10 seconds left.
Going through one other three-point deficit, with 9.2 seconds left, Inexperienced turned it over on a set out of bounds play.
What began as an emotional night time ended with a fraught loss. It appeared like so many different late-game fails the Warriors have endured over the previous three seasons.
When Butler arrives, not less than issues will look completely different — a method or one other.
