Warriors vs Heat: The Dubs returned to their home floor to begin a critical home-and-home series, losing 114-102 to the Miami Heat.
The score doesn’t reflect how outclassed the Dubs were.
Just when the Golden State Warriors seemed to be regaining momentum, they reminded their fans on Thursday night that inconsistency has been the team’s main characteristic over the past two seasons. The Heat looked like the better team from start to finish despite missing Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry.
There’s much to criticize about the Warriors vs Heat. Some of the critical points will be discussed shortly. The Dubs looked listless, unfocused, and undisciplined throughout the game. But basketball is all about the best players on the court, and none of Golden State’s key players were present.
The Splash Brothers scored 13 points each. No, you didn’t read that wrong. Curry only scored 3 of 15 points in just under 32 minutes of play. He let the Heat distract him way too much in the first half, and when he realized he needed to be more aggressive, the Heat’s defense nipped him in the bud repeatedly. Thompson only played 25 minutes, and while he did record five assists and two steals, he only hit 4 of 11 from the field.
Six other Warriors players scored in double figures, with Andrew Wiggins, Moses Moody, and Trayce Jackson-Davis being the only players in the rotation with a positive plus/minus record. Jackson-Davis recorded another double-double (10 points and 11 rebounds) in just 25 minutes.
The Warriors needed a strong performance from Jonathan Kuminga with Curry and Thompson out. Instead, he committed six turnovers and went 0-for-3 from distance. The Warriors’ young wing deserved more minutes, but Thursday’s loss showed that a more significant role for Kuminga won’t come without growing pains.
Player grades: Warriors vs Heat
We grade the performance of all Golden State players in the 114-102 loss to Miami.
To say the Golden State Warriors suffered a loss on Thursday night would be the understatement of the season. After seeing their five-game winning streak come to a perfectly acceptable end on Christmas Day away against the defending champion Denver Nuggets, the Dubs had every chance to continue their winning streak on Thursday.
They were well rested. They were at home. And they were facing a Miami Heat team that was missing its best player, Jimmy Butler, and its starting point guard, Kyle Lowry.
Instead, they got their butt kicked and lost 114-102. Today’s review will be short because our team didn’t play well.
And then Steve Kerr summed it all up, too.
Jonathan Kuminga
Good things happened when Kuminga drove to the rim. Good things didn’t happen for the rest of the game. More shots than points and six turnovers are probably not what JK was hoping for in his first game since publicly announcing he should get more playing time.
Post-Game Bonus: The team’s worst plus/minus rating.
Kevon Looney
It’s been a while since Looney looked like the Warriors’ best center. It’s also been a while since Looney looked like the Warriors’ second-best center. Which is a shame.
Dario Šarić
It wasn’t a good defensive game for the Warriors, but I was impressed with Šarić’s defense. It’s not his job, but it’s a nice bonus, especially when he’s scoring so smoothly and efficiently.
Wiggins has been a bit more efficient lately, but that wasn’t mainly the case in this game. While it was nice to see his assist numbers go up — the four assists were a season-high for Wiggins, and only the ninth time this year he’s had multiple assists in a game — the whole game looked a little listless for him.
He’s grabbed 14 fewer rebounds than Podziemski this season, one of the most astounding stats this year.
Chris Paul
Amidst all the problems of the team’s regulars and veterans, CP3 was usually reliable and helped steady the ship as much as possible. But this was an atypical game from him, in which he gave up almost as many turnovers as assists.
Cory Joseph
It’s just garbage time for Cory Joseph. Nothing to see here.
Jerome Robinson
One block in just two minutes at guard is pretty cool.
Moses Moody
Moody played a perfect basketball game. There aren’t many players in this game you can say that about. At least not many wear the Warriors jersey.
Postgame bonus: Led the team in plus/minus.
Lester Quiñones
It’s always good to see Lester. I wish we didn’t always have to meet like this.
Warriors vs Heat: Splash Brothers and New generation
Steph Curry
This much being said, Curry didn’t do much wrong in this game. He didn’t have any hair-raising turnovers or annoying fouls. He didn’t make any bad mistakes or take the team out of the game.
But he didn’t play well either. Not at all.
Postgame bonus: He led the team with two points.
Klay Thompson
I think it’s fair to say Klay Thompson had one of the better games for the Warriors on Thursday. But it wasn’t a good game. He avoided mistakes and did an excellent job passing the ball. But he was inefficient, looked lost defensively, and didn’t grab a single rebound.
Post-Game Bonus: Tied for the team lead in points, tied for the team’s worst plus/minus.
Brandin Podziemski
Even when the Warriors have bad games, Podziemski at least brings energy and is fun to watch. That’s one of the few things you can say about this game.
After the game: Led the team in assists.
Trayce Jackson-Davis
Maybe it’s time to quantify the number of games TJD hasn’t been the Warriors’ starting center. Even though he’s only the third center, this was his third double-double in the last five games. The team has only recorded 18 double-doubles this year, and the rookies have recorded the last five.
Postgame bonus: Led the team in rebounds.
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