The Golden State Warriors lost a 115-113 heartbreaker on Christmas Day to the Los Angeles Lakers to drop to 15-14 on the season. Steph Curry hit a game-tying three in the final 10 seconds, but it wasn’t enough, and the Warriors watched Austin Reaves beat them with a layup with just 1.1 seconds left on the clock.
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This loss was the 11th in 14 games for the Dubs, who’ve fallen off a cliff since starting the season 12-3. ESPN NBA insider Bobby Marks was asked after the game if time was running out for Golden State to maximize their championship window with Curry, and he seemed to think it was.
“I think the window to potentially win a championship in Golden State is suddenly closing here…they are barely hanging on for that 10th seed, a half-game ahead of San Antonio.”
Marks pointed out that the Warriors have an opportunity with their upcoming games to turn things around. Six of their next seven games are at home, which could give them a chance to make up some ground in the standings and stop the bleeding.
The Dubs will travel to play the Clippers on Friday, but after that, they get the Suns, Cavs, Sixers, Grizzlies, Kings, and Heat at the Chase Center. That’s not the easiest list of opponents, as the Cavs still have the best record in the NBA, the Grizzlies are the current 3-seed in the West, the Suns just got a big win over the Nuggets on Christmas, and even the Sixers have Joel Embiid back.
With Wednesday’s loss, the Warriors are the only one of the top 11 teams in the West without a winning record at home, which is something they need to fix immediately if they hope to turn this season back around.
The Warriors are going through a tough stretch, but don’t count them out yet
Marks went on to talk about how the Warriors’ championship window with Curry is going to be reliant on what GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. is able to do before the trade deadline. Dunleavy already traded for Dennis Schroder of the Nets 11 days ago, but more moves are expected before the February 6th deadline, which is now only five weeks away.
Steve Kerr spoke after the game, and though he acknowledged that his team is going through a rough patch and a crisis of confidence, he expressed confidence in their ability to turn it around.
Steve Kerr: “We’ve lost some confidence. You can feel it. We had a great vibe early in the season and we’re going through it right now… I believe we’re going to get this thing turned around.” pic.twitter.com/6luvyo4KU6
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) December 26, 2024
It hasn’t been easy for Golden State to transition to a new era and integrate many younger pieces into its championship core. Klay Thompson has gone to Dallas, but the team still has Kerr, Curry, and Draymond Green, which means they still have championship DNA in there somewhere.
Curry, for his part, isn’t giving up yet. It was obvious that he was still stinging from the loss, but when he spoke after the game, he said, “I still have hope and faith and confidence that we can figure it out. That’s how I’m built.”
It’s going to be an uphill climb in the West, but with Kerr and Curry’s leadership, plus another move or two from Dunleavy, the Warriors still have an opportunity to get back in the race.
