It wasn’t for lack of effort, but the Warriors fell 112-108 to the Wizards on Tuesday night. Golden State erased a 19-point deficit and led at points in the fourth quarter, but ultimately lost the game in the final minutes. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 25 points, while Draymond Green notched his second double-double in as many days with 14 points and 14 assists. With the defeat, Golden State drops to 50-10 on the season.
GAME LEADERS
Kevin Durant suffered a hyperextended knee a minute into the contest and was forced to miss the rest of the game. His absence seemed to jostle the Warriors’ psyche in the early going, and by the time they recovered, the damage had been done.
Zaza Pachulia tied the score at 2-2 65 seconds into the game, after which Washington responded with a 7-0 burst over the next minute, and they’d continue to build a cushion from there. After Klay Thompson drained his second three-pointer to close within 22-14, the Wizards ripped off another 7-0 run and would eventually take their largest lead of the entire game at 39-20 with 2:19 remaining in the opening frame. Golden State would recover slightly from there and trail 40-26 at the end of the first quarter.
The Warriors would fair considerably better defensively in the second quarter, but ultimately would only be able to cut two points off their deficit going into halftime. The Dubs closed within 11 on four occasions late in the second quarter, but six-straight points from the Wizards kept Golden State at bay. After Thompson converted the Warriors’ only three-pointer of the second period, Andre Iguodala dunked with seven seconds left to trim the deficit to 61-49 at the half.
Stephen Curry had missed 14 consecutive three-point attempts up to that point dating back to Monday’s game in Philadelphia, and after John Wall opened the second half scoring with a layup, Curry broke the streak to ignite a 10-0 Warriors’ run to pull within 63-59 with 9:37 left in the third quarter. Little by little, they’d continue to whittle down the Wizards’ advantage, and would eventually take their first lead of the entire night on two Shaun Livingston free throws to go up 80-79 with 2:10 left in the frame. It would basically remain a one possession game for the remainder of the contest, and the two sides would go into the fourth and final quarter deadlocked at 85-85.
Both teams would alternate scores until Markieff Morris followed two Bradley Beal free throws with a layup to go in front 92-88 with 8:45 left to play. Livingston would answer right back with a dunk, and that would spark a 6-9 Warriors’ burst to retake the lead.
After Morris responded with a three-pointer, Curry followed a Patrick McCaw layup with two free throws to give Golden State their largest advantage of the entire night at 98-95 with 4:11 remaining. It would be a short-lived lead, however, as Washington would answer with the next four points to jump back in front. Draymond Green had compiled 14 assists up to that point, but the Warriors looked to him for some clutch scoring and he didn’t let them down. He scored Golden State’s next eight points, giving the Dubs a one-point lead with his first two scores before tying the game at 106-106 with a three-pointer with 1:04 left on the game clock. 23 seconds later, Curry would tie the game once more with a layup, but those would prove to be the Warriors’ final points of the night. Washington converted all four of their free throw attempts in the final minute to prove the difference in Golden State’s eventual 112-108 defeat.
With the loss, the Warriors drop to 50-10 on the season. They’ll continue their road trip on Thursday in Chicago against the Bulls.