San Francisco – It’s been a long time since Chase Center has cleared out before the final buzzer sounded. The normal sellout crowd found themselves booing a team that has sunken to a new low. The New Orleans Pelicans 141-105 victory over the Warriors was the worst loss this season. It was another dreadful night for Golden State who suffered their second loss in three days.
The Pelicans punched first amassing 46 points in the first quarter, the most they have allowed to an opponent in any quarter this season (prev. 40, three times). Golden State tried to climb out of a whole dug too deep, they trailed the entire game. Tonight was the Warriors sixth-largest home loss all-time. The losses have taken a toll on the team and it shows.
The lack of leadership on the floor has been complicated since Draymond Green’s suspension and Chris Paul’s injury. Between the two they both guide players on the floor, on the sideline and in the locker room. Kerr mentioned that it’s quiet on the court without their presence. Green is the floor general and the one guy who creates space for Curry to shot. Paul runs the second unit and vocally tells them what to do. Without them both, it’s been a disaster.
“I’m trying my best to talk and be more vocal, but we miss Chris (Paul),” Kevon Looney said. “He’s one of the guys that talks probably the most, and Draymond (Green), Gary (Payton II) talks a lot out there on the court. So, you’re missing pieces like that that’s kind of our core people out there talking. Especially on the defensive end it’s tough. But we got to be better, hold each other more accountable, just be more communicative out there. We know what we’re doing, we just got to talk about it more on the court. I think that’s part of a big problem that’s been keeping our defense from taking the next step.”
Jonathan Kuminga extended his career long double-figure scoring streak to 17 games. Trayce Jackson-Davis scored a career-high 19 points off the bench. He’s scored in double figures in 10 of the last 12 games, including the last three consecutively. Jackson-Davis is averaging 15.3 points on 88.0 percent shooting from the field (22-of-25 FG).
Moses Moody scored a season-high-tying 21 points for the second consecutive game. He sank a season-high-tying four 3-pointers. In the last two games, Moody is shooting 55.6 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from 3-point range (8-14 3P). Moody left tonight’s game with a lower calf injury and is expected to have an MRI.
UP NEXT: The Warriors travel to Chicago to face the Bulls on Friday, January 12 (5 p.m. PST), in the first game of a four-game road trip.
Photo by GSW/Twitter
