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Rookie Brandin Podziemski took ownership of the Golden State Warriors‘ stunning loss to a shorthanded Miami Heat 114-102 on Thursday, December 28, at home as they slipped to below .500 again.
“That falls on my plate,” Podziemski told reporters after the loss. “I’m the guy that’s supposed to bring the energy and hustle plays and effort plays and I didn’t do that. I can usually gauge that by how many steals, deflections, and rebounds I get and tonight was probably my worst performance of the year in that case. So, I think it starts with me.”
Podziemski had 10 points and six assists but his nine-game streak of recording a steal ended against the Heat, who played without Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowrie and Caleb Martin.
“Coach can say that it’s his fault, he didn’t get us prepared and whatnot but I’m in that starting group for that reason and I just don’t think I brought that energy and effort tonight like I usually do,” Podziemski added.
‘Dramatic Rookie’
Warriors star Klay Thompson called him a “dramatic rookie” in jest after he was told of Podziemski’s postgame thoughts.
“Jeez, dramatic rookie,” Thompson told reporters. ” Yeah, [our energy] wasn’t great tonight and I don’t know. I don’t have a great answer for you. Can’t blame [Podziemski]. It’s hard to bring the energy he does 82 nights a year but he does it to the best of his ability. But just not the best performance tonight from anybody.”
“So it’s just an unfortunate opportunity slipped for us and I wasn’t particularly good tonight. Minus-26 is pretty reflective of that.”
Thompson only had 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting. Stephen Curry, who did not score until late in the second quarter was held to 13 points on 3-of-15 shooting.
Both Warriors stars were seen dejected on the bench after the buzzer, trying to process the shocking loss.
Podziemski was the lone starter who finished with a positive net rating (plus-1).
Warriors’ Lackadaisical Effort
Before the game, rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis shared that Steve Kerr warned them about the Heat culture and their next-man-up mentality.
But the Warriors still sleepwalked into the game.
“When they zoned us, our offense was too stagnant,” Thompson said. “Rather than trying to cut more off the ball and drive and kick, including myself, we were just too content standing around the perimeter instead of playing with more force, getting into the paint, getting your teammate open and taking great shots.”
The Warriors failed to hit at least 10 3-pointers for the first time this season.
Tyler Herro led the Heat with 26 points while Bam Adebayo and Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 17 apiece. Unheralded player Jamal Cain erupted for a career-high 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting off the bench for the Heat. Miami’s 20-year-old big man Nikola Jovic had a season-high 11 points.
“They didn’t feel us,” Kerr lamented of the Warriors’ lackadaisical defense.
Warriors’ Bright Spot
Jackson-Davis provided the silver lining to the loss as he notched his third career double-double.
Jackson-Davis finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks as he held his own against Adebayo, the Heat’s All-Star center, and veteran big man Kevin Love.
“In the first half, they punched us in the mouth and we responded going into halftime,” Jackson-Davis told reporters after the game, “and then the second half, they did the same thing. We just didn’t respond very well and they got that lead and then sat on it and we tried to push back but it
was a little too late.”
The Warriors played with fire as they trailed as many as 14 in the first half. They came within three 64-61 with still 9:19 left in the third quarter. But it was the closest they could get as the Heat dropped the hammer and led by as many as 22 in the fourth quarter.
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