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HOUSTON – For most of last month, the Warriors tried to stay on top of the water.
Since the NBA All-Star game, Golden State has only 5-5 and still has not won consecutive games. The defending champions had to deal with injuries, complacency and the integration of the All-Star Mercurial DeMarcus Cousins Center.
Now, during the last episode of "As the Warriors Turn", the team will again attempt to capture the pace that escapes them in the hostile yet historically comforting confines of Oklahoma City during Saturday's match against the Thunder.
"It's the goal," said coach Steve Kerr after Friday's training at the University of Houston. "We've talked about it a couple of times as a team, so hopefully we'll get there on this trip, so stay tuned for details and stay engaged in the practice and shoot sessions, and then bringing us the necessary energy every night ".
The complacency issues of the Warriors this season have been well documented, but a closer look at the calendar shows a team more willing to lay an egg at home. Of the 10 team defeats at Oracle Arena, the Warriors lost to the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors. They even lost to the Phoenix Suns, who have the worst record of the Western Conference.
Meanwhile, the Warriors won in Philadelphia, Boston, Milwaukee, Portland and Indiana. Their most recent victory, the 106-104 win over Rockets on Wednesday without Kevin Durant, ended Houston's nine-game winning streak and set the tone for their current four-game trip.
"I think we just have a different level of concentration," said Draymond Green. "We know what it takes to win on the road, sometimes at home, we relax a bit thinking," Oh, we're going to win. "On the road, you know what it's like it takes to win and we could play with the type of intensity. "
For most teams, the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City has been a house of horrors. Over the last three years, the Thunder has won nearly 70% of its home games. However, since 2016, Golden State has lost only once in the last four matches at OKC.
Last season, while they were in the middle of a regular season of 7 to 10, the Warriors, without Stephen Curry, beat the Thunder on the road behind 34 points and 10 rebounds from Durant.
"I think our guys appreciate the harsh environments on the road," Kerr said. "We tend to do better when people question us and even when we ask ourselves questions."
Nevertheless, the iteration of this year's thunder presents a more challenging challenge than the warriors had overcome 11 months ago.
While guard Russell Westbrook posts his usual numbers, forward Paul George plays as a candidate for the most valuable player. George has averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 65 games this season. Add a solid field of play consisting of Steven Adams and Jerami Grant, and the Thunder looks like a formidable opponent for the Warriors in the playoffs.
"They have an excellent team," said Kerr. "Paul George has had a fantastic season and Steven Adams has always been very effective against us – it's a tough place to play and a hellish team."
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Fortunately for the Warriors, things seem to be set up in time for Saturday night.
Durant, who injured his ankle Sunday, completed a full practice Friday in Houston. The cousins, who still found their way after returning from a ripped Achilles, had just made their best match as a warrior on Wednesday. He finished the night with 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
Now, with a chance to finally find consistency for their last 15 games, the Warriors must show an attribute Saturday night that hinted at them so far.
"Concentrate," Green said. "If we enter the match, which I do not doubt, we will give ourselves a good chance of winning."
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