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The Golden State Warriors concluded their road trip on a disappointing note, falling to the Utah Jazz in a frustrating defeat. This loss comes after an impressive victory over the Houston Rockets and a closely contested game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Despite the Jazz being short-handed without key players like Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Jusuf Nurkic, Golden State couldn’t capitalize. Utah further weakened their lineup by benching Keyonte George late in the third quarter and resting top scorer Brice Sensabaugh, who tallied 21 points, for the final 4:48 of the game.
In the closing moments, Draymond Green missed a crucial free throw that would have given the Warriors a 114-113 lead with just over a minute remaining. Although eight Warriors reached double digits in scoring, with De’Anthony Melton leading at 22 points, the team struggled from the charity stripe, converting only 14 of 21 attempts.
Brandin Podziemski also faltered at the line, missing two critical free throws, contributing to his 0-for-4 performance. These free-throw woes were a significant factor in the Warriors’ back-to-back losses, following a poor 11-for-18 (61.1%) showing against Oklahoma City.
Brandin Podziemski also missed a pair of late free throws and finished 0-for-4 at the line. The Warriors’ struggles at the foul line arguably cost them a second consecutive game after they shot just 11-for-18 (61.1%) against the Thunder.
The Jazz got to the foul line 29 times and sank 27 of them. Kyle Filipowski sank all six of his attempts on his way to a double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds.
What it means
The Warriors couldn’t have expected to return home any better than 1-2 when they hit the road without Steph Curry and a handful of their rotation regulars.
It’s not the path anyone expected, but it’s the same result nevertheless.
Still, the Warriors will be kicking themselves for letting this one slip away.
Turning point
Kevin Love pump-faked Malevy Leons into the air and somehow sank a circus-style 3-pointer through contact, then completed the four-point play to open up the first double-digit lead of the game late in the third quarter. The play was part of a 12-1 run that put the Jazz up 89-78.
Believe it or not, Leons got baited into the air by Love again — on the next trip down the floor.
The Warriors had tied it at 77 before the 12-1 run with an incredible display of tenacity from Nate Williams, one of three active two-way players. He collected the Warriors’ fourth offensive rebound of the possession — his second — before finally converting a reverse layup.
The activity on the offensive glass could have been a signal the Warriors were outworking the Jazz. But the three missed shots on one possession turned out to be a stronger harbinger.
MVP: Seth Curry
Kerr pulled a line change and inserted Curry for his first playing time in 40 games along with an entirely new five-man lineup a little more than nine minutes into the first quarter.
Curry, the NBA’s leader in 3-point percentage last season, set up in the corner, received a pass from Podziemski and promptly drained a triple on his first possession.
Curry showcased the rest of his offensive profile to finish with 13 points in 12 minutes on 4-of-6 shooting, fitting in as seamlessly as he did when he made his debut Dec. 2. He suited up again two nights later and then missed the next four months, largely due to sciatica.
Stat of the game: 36 missed 3-pointers
The Jazz already ranked as the NBA’s worst defensive team inside the perimeter and the second-most foul prone. They were missing their three best players 6-foot-11 or taller.
The Warriors still attempted 52 3-pointers and only converted 16 of them (30.2%).
Up next
The Warriors will have a quick turnaround after a late-night arrival back in San Francisco, playing host to the Bulls on Tuesday night at Chase Center. Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis are both expected to return after they flew home early rather than join the team in Utah.
The back-to-back set is the first of three over the next 13 days for Golden State.