The Golden State Warriors endured a tough 118-108 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, with the biggest surprise of the night being Stephen Curry’s uncharacteristic struggles in the second half. Despite Curry going scoreless after halftime—a rare occurrence for the sharpshooter—head coach Steve Kerr remains optimistic about his team’s outlook for the rest of the NBA season.
Following the game, Kerr reassured reporters that Curry and the Warriors would bounce back, brushing off the performance as a rare off night. “It happens occasionally,” Kerr said, via 95.7 The Game. “Even to the best shooter on Earth. It’s just part of the game. [Stephen Curry] had a tough night, but he’ll bounce back.”
Curry, who was explosive in the first half, failed to score in the second, finishing the game with zero points on 0-of-8 shooting. Over his last five games, Curry has shot just 31% from beyond the arc, a significant dip for the NBA two-time MVP. Adding to the Warriors’ woes, Jonathan Kuminga, who has emerged as a key offensive contributor, continue absence due to injury. Meanwhile, the continued absence of Draymond Green, a vital piece on both ends of the floor, is also weighing heavily on the team.
Kerr’s take on the game
Beyond Curry’s struggles, Kerr acknowledged that the team as a whole didn’t perform up to par. While the Warriors had a strong first half, the second half was marred by costly mistakes and offensive stagnation.
Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after he made a three-point basket against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Chase Center.
“We got 46 threes up—17 more than they did,” Kerr noted. “We know we have to be a good three-point shooting team to win. I thought we played a great first half. I thought we got really good shots [and] there was a great flow to the game. But [in the] second half, we had some costly turnovers and just couldn’t get anything going offensively.”
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After 45 games, Golden State finds itself teetering near .500 with a 22-23 record. Their loss to the Lakers drops them to 11th in the Western Conference, one game out of the play-in tournament. With the NBA All-Star break approaching, the Warriors are in desperate need of a reset to refocus for the second half of the season.
