Getty Steve Kerr and Kenny Atkinson react to a technical foul call during a game between the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns.
After the Golden State Warriors squandered another double-digit lead in a tough loss, coach Steve Kerr made a bold declaration that they are still a championship team. But there’s a caveat.
“We’re good enough to win a championship,” Kerr told reporters after Oklahoma City Thunder beat them in a 138-136 overtime thriller. “This team. I believe that. But if we are just going to turn it over and throw the ball to the other team and foul over and over, then we’re going to lose.”
The erratic Warriors committed a season-high 28 turnovers which the Thunder turned into 35 points to rally from a 14-point deficit.
“We know the formula. We just controlled that whole game on the road against a great team,” Kerr added. “That’s our game. So, yeah turnovers and fouls [were the reasons we lost].”
Draymond Green’s ill-advised foul on rookie Chet Holmgren’s 3-point attempt with eight seconds left led to the overtime. The Thunder skinny big man calmly sank all three free throws while Stephen Curry missed a tough jumper against Lu Dort at the buzzer.
The Thunder blitzed to a 10-point lead in overtime, enough cushion for the Warriors’ late rally.
The loss dropped the Warriors two games below .500 as they stayed outside the Western Conference’s top 10 with a 10-12 record.
Steve Kerr Sticks with Starters
Despite his repeated hints at shaking up the Warriors starting lineup, Kerr still stuck with the same group that started over the past two seasons.
“It’s more of a big picture,” Kerr said before the game via The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. “I’ve got to see — with Draymond’s suspension — we didn’t get a really chance to see this group for the full quarter of the season. It has just been a weird start for the year, a lot of things, a lot of moving parts. I want to give them another chance and see how it goes. They have a proven track record with them. I’ve got to keep giving them opportunities.”
The Warriors’ starters combined for 19 turnovers, led by Andrew Wiggins’s six. Green and Klay Thompson had four each while Curry added three.
After their close win over the Portland Trail Blazers on December 6, Kerr said about plans to make changes in the starting lineup after their slow start to the season.
“The puzzle hasn’t fit this year,” Kerr told reporters. “We’ve had a lot of guys playing well, but we may have to think about moving the starting lineup around from game to game depending on who we are facing. I’d still prefer to get something solid, but we haven’t established anything this year. We’re a quarter of a way through so there is a lot of thought that has to go into this.”
Jonathan Kuminga Continues Stellar Play
Jonathan Kuminga had another stellar run off the bench.
The third-year wing fired 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for a solid double-double off the bench. Over his last six quarters, Kuminga has now scored 37 points on 16 of 27 shots.
Kuminga is averaging a career-high 11.7 points on 46.9% shooting. Injuries to key second unitsecond-unit players — Chris Paul and Gary Payton II — have opened up playing time for him.