In today’s Dub Hub:
- Steve Kerr addresses the Warriors “pattern” of third-quarter struggles after 116–93 loss to Nuggets.
- Moses Moody posts after undergoing successful patella tendon surgery over the weekend.
- Lakers’ Luka Doncic suspended one game after receiving 16th technical foul on Friday vs. Nets.
The Golden State Warriors walked into halftime with a seven-point lead over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night, putting together another strong first half against one of the league’s top teams. But in what has become a familiar script during this portion of the season, that momentum didn’t carry over. The third quarter flipped everything. Denver erupted for 41 points while Golden State managed just 20, ultimately turning a competitive game into a 116–93 blowout loss.
The third-quarter struggles have
become an unfortunate pattern for the Warriors. Whether it’s poor offensive execution, defensive lapses, or simply running out of gas, Golden State has repeatedly lost its footing coming out of halftime. And against the elite teams in the NBA, that has been the difference between winning and losing.
Head coach Steve Kerr addressed the Warriors’ third quarter issue, acknowledging it’s become a recurring theme for the team.
Brandin Podziemski was one of the few bright spots offensively, finishing with 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field and 5-of-8 from three, while committing zero turnovers. Still, even his efficient night couldn’t make up for the team’s mistakes.
In total, the Warriors committed 13 turnovers — just two more than Denver — but the impact told a different story. Golden State managed only 13 points off Nuggets turnovers, while Denver turned theirs into 22 points.
After the game, Podziemski pointed to a key stretch of turnovers late in the second quarter that helped shift the momentum and gave Denver confidence heading into the second half.
Sunday was another reminder that the Warriors can compete with most teams but sustaining that level throughout the course of the game has been the challenge — especially when playing short-handed and relying on a limited rotation. Until they solve that, games like this will continue to slip away with time running out before the April 14th Play-in Tournament.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Monday, March 30th:
Warriors News:
What we learned as Warriors fall flat in fourth quarter during loss to Nuggets | NBC Sports Bay Area
In 10 games now with the Warriors, Porziņģis has a 30-point game and a 28-point game, and both were against the Wizards. His 22-point game came against the lowly Mavericks, and he needed overtime to reach 20 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Playing Jokić and the Nuggets was a new test for Porziņģis. The biggest one yet, perhaps. It’s safe to say the big man stepped up yet again. Yes, Jokić got his. But so did Porziņģis.
He started the game strong and made two threes in the first quarter to give the Warriors an early lead. Porziņģis then scored eight points in the second quarter to bring him 14 first-half points as a plus-6 in a battle with the three-time NBA MVP. The Warriors fell flat in the third quarter, but Porziņģis still scored nine of their 20 points.
Sunday Best: My latest around-the-league NBA Intel | The Stein Line
The Warriors made what has been described as a determined trade run at the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard in the final hour before the Feb. 5 trade buzzer sounded under the belief that Leonard might be unexpectedly unavailable after LA agreed to ship Ivica Zubac to Indiana. The Clippers ultimately balked then, but it is reasonable to presume that Golden State will investigate that possibility once again.
The Warriors are likewise routinely described by rival teams as one of the few credible destinations for LeBron James’ 24th NBA campaign if James and the Lakers indeed part ways after eight seasons together. “It has some legs,” one league source said of the LeBron link to the Warriors.
Moses Moody’s first post after undergoing successful patellar tendon surgery over the weekend
NBA News:
Lakers’ Luka Doncic hit with 1-game suspension for 16th tech | ESPN
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic has been suspended one game for receiving his 16th technical foul in Friday’s win over the Brooklyn Nets, the NBA announced on Saturday.
Doncic will serve the suspension during Monday’s game against the Washington Wizards.
Doncic and Nets forward Ziaire Williams were assessed double techs with 5:12 remaining in the third quarter of Friday’s game after jostling with each other following an offensive foul called on Doncic.
Raptors go on a historic 31-0 run against the Magic
In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:
Final Score: Nuggets win 116-93 over Warriors, Jokic scores 25 points
For a half, a shorthanded Warriors team (no Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, or Moses Moody among others) — was outplaying a legitimate title contender on their home floor.
Then Jokic took over as he’s done so many time as Denver flipped the script completely. The Nuggets finished shooting 50% from the field and 47% from three-point range, going 19-for-40 beyond the arc for the game. Jokic ended with 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 assists, doing it all with that infuriating casual efficiency that makes you want to both applaud and flip a table.
Follow @unstoppablebaby on X for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.
