The Warriors’ game against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night was a painful watch for Dubs fans. Turnovers, zero rhythm in offense, and absolutely no answer to an onslaught from a Hawks team that looked fresh and full of life. Stephen Curry, being his ever-so-honest self, pointed out just what went wrong.
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Atlanta has one of the youngest squads in the NBA this season, with an average age of 23.8. In contrast, the Warriors are old and don’t seem to be developing any consistency with half the season almost completed. Curry, 37, declared that as the defining factor.
Curry lauded the Hawks team for being able to create separation with ease, and looked motivated to win. The Warriors, meanwhile, simply looked uncomfortable out there with zero energy on the floor. Or on the bench.
In the post-game press conference, Curry, who sounded tired, said, “In the end of the second and the third, they created all the separation… They played well the whole game, they’re a young athletic team… They were excited to get out there, and it showed.”
Stephen Curry said Atlanta’s “young, athletic team” separated from the Warriors. Credited its defense for influencing Golden State’s 10-of-42 shooting from 3-point range.
“You’ve got to credit their defense. They have a lot of athleticism.”
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The two-time MVP went on to state that the Warriors lacked energy in the early quarters, which allowed the Hawks to settle in and get comfortable very easily. The same was the reason for the lack of open looks for the team. “You gotta credit their defense,” he added.
“They have a lot of athleticism, they like to switch a lot, a lot of off-ball actions weren’t necessarily right. In certain games, you can feel like you’re pressing if your ball’s not hopping around… So, we can obviously correct that, but they have a lot of… a really good defensive effort.”
It was a damning assessment of the Warriors’ dismal showing. They eventually lost 124-111, a margin that could have been far worse if not for a late spark in the closing stages. Trailing by more than 20 at the start of the fourth quarter, the team looked desperate for offense.
