Getty Steph Curry reacts to a foul in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Steph Curry is getting sick of being blown out this season, and wants the rest of the Golden State Warriors to feel the same way.
The former MVP spoke out after his team was dismantled by the Los Angeles Lakers in a critical contest, losing by 31 points just one day after upsetting one of the best teams in the league. After the loss, Curry shared his frustration with the team’s inconsistent play and implored his teammates to show a greater sense of pride in their season.
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Warriors Sputter in Blowout Loss
The Warriors went into Monday’s matchup against the Lakers on the high of a 131-119 win over the league-leading Utah Jazz, but failed to maintain the momentum. After the 129-97 defeat to the Lakers, Curry didn’t hold back in his criticism of the team’s effort. In remarks to reporters, Curry said that his team needed to play with more pride.
“We’ve got to play better,” Curry said, via ESPN. “We have to develop a winning attitude every single night, and honestly, we’ve got to get sick of getting blown out, because that’s embarrassing. We have to have some pride about how we’re playing. You can lose games — that’s going to happen — but not like that.”
The blowout marred a career milestone for Curry, whose two assists gave him the Golden State franchise record. Curry has enjoyed what Yahoo! Sports writer Vincent Goodwill noted was an MVP-worthy season, scoring just under his career high with 29.3 points per game.
But Monday’s loss left Curry befuddled as to what his team needed to turn around the season. When asked what it would take for the Warriors to be an above-average team again, Curry admitted that he didn’t have an answer.
HISTORY.
Congratulations to @StephenCurry30 on passing Guy Rodgers as the Warriors’ all-time assists leader!
“I don’t know. I don’t know,” he replied, via ESPN. “There’s just certain principles, obviously, of how we’re going to play. It’s our identity that has to show up every night, and at the end of the day, I think I said it [Sunday] night, our expectations go through the roof when you play like you did against Utah and then you come and drop the ball tonight, and that’s why we are 20-20, but it takes a lot.”
Loss Keeps Golden State at Edge of Playoff Race
The loss kept the Warriors in ninth place in the Western Conference, three games out of the sixth spot that would avoid a place in the play-in tournament. As ESPN noted, the team has struggled with inconsistency and only managed one three-game winning streak, which came before the All-Star break and was immediately followed by a three-game losing streak.
Highlights: The #Lakers put on a show from start to finish in San Francisco in a 128-97 win over Golden State. t.co/rWb7TAUrRK
After Monday’s loss, head coach Steve Kerr said the team’s inconsistency stood out.
“I think these last two days kind of define our team in a lot of ways,” Kerr said, via ESPN. “In a span of 36 hours, we beat the team with the best record in the league with a spirited defensive effort and then lost by 31 points to another great team. Who are we? What kind of team are we? We are 20-20 for a reason.”
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