Two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry has called for an honest self-reflection for the whole Golden State Warriors team after their 123-124 disappointing loss to the Sacramento Kings in the in-season tournament on Tuesday night.
The Warriors needed a win by a 12-point margin to progress from West Group C. Rather, they gave up a 24-point lead at the Golden 1 Center to the Kings, who remained unbeaten and advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Final ????
Stephen – 29p/10r/6a/1b
Andrew – 29p/10r/3a
Klay – 20p/9r/2a/1s/2b
Moses – 11p/1r/2a
Dario – 10p/2r/3a
Dray – 8p/6r/3a/2b
Gary – 7p/5r/1a/2s/1b
Cory – 4p/3r/3a
Chris – 3p/2s
Kevon – 2p/5r/2a/1s
Jonathan – 1r pic.twitter.com/SOtgQSMSUJ— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 29, 2023
Curry, who finished the game with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists, said the loss was frustrating, and as a team, they need to look at themselves critically as they fell to the eighth loss in their last ten games.
“Obviously, after this one, it’s going to be tough to swallow just because we should have won that game,” he began. “We played well enough to win for 40 minutes. And knowing the stretch that we’ve been on; we were really motivated.
“The in-season tournament was a motivator for sure. We knew we had to win, but to get out there, it was in your head trying to, you know, get to the finish line and then you end up losing on top of it. So, it’s a tough pill to swallow for sure.
“Frustrating. You know, I think,” the four-time NBA champion continued. “We all got to look ourselves in the mirror and figure out what we individually can do better.
“You know, in those deciding moments of the game, better decisions, you know, better discipline and not foul. All the little things that you know, impacts winning.”
Andrew Wiggins tallied Curry’s points for Golden State with 29 points and 10 rebounds, while Klay Thompson scored 20 points and grabbed 10 boards in 36 minutes.
The Warriors were doing just fine until the third quarter but the Kings turned the game on its head led by De’Aaron Fox’s 29 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Malik Monk, who also played a big part in Sacramento’s comeback win, finished with 21 points including hitting a fadeaway jumper with 7 seconds left on the clock.
The Kings won the group with a 4-0 record and will host the New Orleans Pelicans next week in the quarterfinals.
