What we learned as Dubs' streak ends with bad loss to Jazz originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The Warriors opened Wednesday night in Utah by taking a 13-0 lead. They looked like a team riding a nine-game win streak, firing on all cylinders. Then the Jazz remembered they're a top-four team in the Western Conference for a reason. They went on a 15-5 run and the Warriors wound up leading by just one after the first quarter.
It was clear what a battle this would be. But it wasn't clear just how badly the Warriors would run out of steam.
The Warriors started the third quarter on an 8-0 run, before the Jazz then went on their own 18-4 run. In the end, Golden State went cold, looked tired and their win streak came to an end with a 111-85 loss at Vivint Arena.
Without a handful of players, including Klay Thompson, the Warriors' offense fell flat. They came into the game scoring at least 110 points in each of their last eight games. They averaged 117.5 points per game over that span. On Wednesday night, they fell just a bit short of that mark.
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Steph Curry scored only 16 points while going 5-for-13 from the field and 3-for-8 on 3-point attempts. Jordan Poole started for Thompson and scored 18 points. Curry was a minus-14 and Poole was a minus-8.
As a whole, the Warriors shot 35.9 percent from the floor and 37.2 percent from deep.
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The Jazz outscored the Warriors 56-36 in the second half, and the Warriors' 85 points were their second-lowest this season.
Here are three takeaways as the Warriors fell to 41-14 before they face the New York Knicks at Chase Center on Thursday night.
3-Point Contest
Coming into this contest, the Warriors led the NBA in 3-pointers per game with 14.6. Right behind them were the Jazz at 14.5.
The 3-point champion wound up being winners. The Warriors had a better percentage while making 16 3-pointers, but the Jazz ended with one more. Seven different Jazz players scored from beyond the arc.
In a game that featured the NBA's two best shooting teams on 3-pointers, it was the paint that made the difference.
No Rudy Gobert, No Problem
Whenever Rudy Gobert sits, there always are glimpses of the Jazz making his MVP case for him. That's how it was when the Warriors started the game with a 13-point run. But then Utah's two other 7-footers stepped their game up.
Udoka Azubuike started in place of Gobert and found himself in early foul trouble. His size certainly played a factor at times and he scored 11 points and had five rebounds in 19 minutes. It was his backup who made the biggest impact.
Hassan Whiteside came off the bench and had himself a block party. Whiteside finished the night with seven blocks in 29 minutes. He also scored nine points and grabbed 17 rebounds.
The Warriors were outrebounded 52-35 by the Jazz, and Utah also scored 48 points in the paint to Golden State's 20. Kevon Looney, the Warriors' only true center right now, continued his games played streak after coming in questionable. He was a minus-2 over 23 minutes.
Bad Bench Night
The Warriors were without Thompson, Draymond Green, Nemanja Bjelica and Andre Iguodala -- as well as James Wiseman. They needed their bench to step up, and that didn't happen.
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Jonathan Kuminga scored 12 minutes, but was a minus-12. Damion Lee struggled mightily and was a minus-22 in 27 minutes. Juan Toscano-Anderson hitting three late 3-pointers was about the only positive.
While Golden State's second unit struggled, the Jazz -- as they usually do -- thrived with their starters on the bench. Jordan Clarkson scored 13 points and was a plus-33. Whiteside was a game-high plus-35. The Jazz's bench outscored the Warriors' bench 44-28.
They'll have to be better.
