San Francisco – For the second consecutive game, the Warriors struggled defensively, falling 114-98 to the Miami Heat. Despite Stephen Curry’s strong performance with 31 points, including several successful shots from beyond the arc, it wasn’t enough to counter Miami’s sharpshooting. The Heat, coming off a double-overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings on a back-to-back, dominated from three-point range, sinking 16 shots from deep.
Trayce Jackson-Davis contributed 19 points and 7 rebounds, while Draymond Green added 10 rebounds. However, Golden State was unable to regain the lead for most of the game, as Miami capitalized on their offensive rhythm and defensive lapses by the Warriors.
“I just felt like we came out there and there wasn’t a lot of energy,” said Jackson-Davis. “We thrive off energy, we thrive off shots. That’s the thing, we can’t thrive off of those shots, we got to thrive off of our defensive presence. I felt like when we started playing defense in the second quarter, kind of got some energy in the gym. But we can’t let our shots and making and missing dictate how we play on the defensive end of the floor.”
Golden State closed the gap to one point 86-87 in the third behind back-to-back threes from Curry, but the Warriors couldn’t sustain their defense, allowing shots on the other end of the floor. Golden State struggled with offensive rebounds and sloppy play, while Miami capitalized from beyond the arc to take control. Jaime Jaquez Jr. shined with 18 points, and Nikola Jovic added 20 points off the bench, further bolstering the Heat’s dominance.
Steve Kerr on Trayce Jackson-Davis
Trayce Jackson-Davis, in his second year, continues to develop as a player. As the starting center, he’s earning more minutes on the court. However, his performance varies—excelling in some matchups while struggling in others. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr provides insight into Jackson-Davis’ development and how he’s being utilized this season.
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