SACRAMENTO – Though it’s premature to say the Warriors, 10 months after winning the NBA Finals, are finished as a contender, the signs pointing in that direction are big and bright and will not stop blinking.
They’re down 0-2 to the Sacramento Kings not by incident or accident or injury. As vociferous as the crowds were in Games 1 and 2 at Golden 1 Center, this is no continuation of the road struggles that pestered Golden State during the regular season.
The Warriors lost both games of this first-round Western Conference playoff series because they were inferior, particularly when victory was within reach.
The Kings snatched Game 1 by dominating the fourth quarter and repeated the feat Monday night for a 114-106 victory in Game 2. The Warriors trailed by one, 102-101, with 3:11 remaining but were outscored 12-5 after that.
“We were competing; we hit some big shots,” coach Steve Kerr said. “But they played better than we did down the stretch.”
That has been the theme, the younger Kings, with little to no playoff experience, outmaneuvering the battle-tested Warriors.
The Warriors were slower, which should not be surprising considering their age. They struggled to defend, especially in the fourth quarter, which is not surprising insofar as Sacramento’s regular-season offensive metrics are the best in NBA history and star point guard De’Aaron Fox is a strong candidate for the league’s inaugural Clutch Player of the Year award.
Golden State Warriors
What’s stunning, considering Golden State’s vast postseason experience, most of it gloriously successful, is the frequency of errors.
Mental errors. Physical errors. Schematic errors. Judgment errors. The Warriors through the first two games have been more skittish than the Kings, whose roster is deep in players making their postseason debut.
Golden State gave away 25 points off its 22 turnovers in Game 2 – with nine giveaways leading to 10 of Sacramento’s 17 points in the first quarter.
“When we handle the pressure, everything opens up,” said Draymond Green, who was ejected after losing his composure with 7:03 remaining. “We’ve just got to handle the pressure better initially. That starts at the beginning of the game.
“And if I’m not mistaken, I’ve started two games in a row with a turnover. That sets a tone. I have to be better.”
Draymond is mistaken. He committed a turnover with a bad pass 17 seconds after tipoff of Game 2. It was longtime teammate, Stephen Curry, who committed a turnover – also a bad pass – 19 seconds into Game 1.
Turnovers are, however, only one of the several persistent issues. And the others are much more difficult to correct.
These Warriors were bounced from the play-in after two losses in 2021, but this is the first time they have lost the first two games of a postseason series. This is their 28th such series, and it’s a new and jarring experience for a proud team accustomed to making the playoffs their personal playground.
“This is one we haven’t seen yet,” Green said. “And we’ve conquered all the rest of them. So why not go conquer this one. It will be a lot of fun. A lot of fun.”
Leave it to Curry to embrace the challenge ahead – while also conceding that it is daunting.
“It’s hard,” he said. “But winning at this stage is hard. If we’re going to do it, we’ve got to be more mindful about those specific things. The confidence is – this may sound delusional – that we continue to make the same mistakes but still compete at a high level and show what we’re capable of.”
The difference between “delusional” and reality can sometimes be tiny. It is for these Warriors. There is no sign of surrender, nor should there be. But there never is for a championship team. They don’t go away until they’re put away.
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Their only hope is that they summon their best basketball when they get back to Chase Center for Games 3 (Thursday) and 4 (Sunday). If they can even the series, the heartbeat is restored.
“We’ve got to stay together, stay locked in on things we need to do better,” Curry said. “Embrace the challenge of protecting our home court, which we’ve done all year. All we’ve got to do is win one game here, somehow, some way.”
Some of what has befallen the Warriors the past three days is beyond their power. They won’t become the quicker team. Any comeback will require exquisite mindfulness, an uptick in muscle and pluck and luck.
There’s no guarantee even that will be enough.