What we learned as Warriors’ late-game woes continue in loss to Nets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – No lead is safe in the NBA, as the Warriors again learned Monday night at Chase Center against the rebuilding, short-handed Brooklyn Nets.
The Warriors on Saturday in San Antonio led by 17 points in the third quarter and wound up losing by 10. After one day’s worth of rest, the Warriors enjoyed an 18-point lead over the Nets in the third quarter. That lead then was down to only five going into the fourth quarter.
Just a little more than three minutes into the fourth, the lead was gone. The Warriors never got it back, losing 128-120. Brooklyn outscored Golden State 41-28 in the fourth quarter.
Steph Curry scored a team-high 28 points, going 8 of 16 on 3-pointers. Andrew Wiggins added 18. Moses Moody had 15, but all in the first half. Lindy Waters gave the Warriors 13 points, 10 of which were in the first half.
Inexcusably, the Warriors again were crushed at the free-throw line. The Nets made 26 of their 30 free throws. The Warriors however, shot 11 of 17 on free throws, making 15 fewer free throws in an eight-point loss.
Here are three takeaways from Golden State’s second consecutive frustrating loss.
3-Point Party
As it often does in the NBA, the deciding factor between these two teams clearly was going to be the 3-point line. The Warriors and Nets entering Monday both ranked in the top seven in 3-point attempts per game. While Brooklyn was seventh, averaging 40.6 attempts per game, Golden State was slightly above at 41.6 tries – fourth in the NBA.
Right away, it was clear it was going to be a 3-point shootout at Chase Center. The first quarter saw the Warriors and Nets combine to take 48 shots, and 31 were beyond the arc. Though the Warriors were more accurate to start the game, the Nets held a six-point advantage from deep through the first 12 minutes and led by four.
The advantage at halftime then belonged to the Warriors. They hit two more 3s than the Nets in the first half and led by nine points. Six Warriors had already cashed in from deep.
Both teams then were tied at 15 3s apiece going into the fourth quarter as the Nets outscored the Warriors 29-25 in the third quarter. The final tally was 20 3s for the Nets, and 19 for the Warriors – with nearly half coming from Curry.
Nets coach Jordi Fernandez gave time to nine players, and each made at least one three.
Paint Night
The Nets, when healthy, are a much longer and…