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OAKLAND, Calif. – For the first time in the Steve Kerr era, the Golden State Warriors have lost four straight games. The final setback was recorded Wednesday night in the 123-95 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, a match in which the Warriors have never found a solid pace and are struggling to pull themselves together again. .
This is the first time the Warriors have lost four straight since February 26 to March 2, 2013, according to ESPN Stats & Information. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the 450 games played between four sets of defeats constitute the fourth longest run in the history of the NBA.
"We just do not get the ball right," said Warriors forward Kevin Durant. "It's difficult for us to find the rim that is now, 95 points, we do not really want that, we did not shoot well, all of us, so we managed some shots, I think our defense was solid enough to start the game, I think we did a good job on the defensive side of the ball, but after a while, the shots did not fall, that led to something else, they shot 23 more shots than we . getting beaten up. "
After four defeats, the Warriors averaged only 95.5 points per game. Although the group is frustrated by its recent play, there is confidence in the locker room as both Draymond Green (toe) and Stephen Curry (left hand) are expected to return in the near future.
Curry has missed six consecutive games and is expected to miss at least a few more after being injured in the groin during a loss to Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 8. Green has missed three consecutive games as he continues to deal with a persistent problem.
"Our guys – they will not be too discouraged," said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. "They know, especially the guys who have been in this league for a long time, they know the exercise, we have not felt that much here for a few years – maybe once or twice – but it's part of being in You are injured, you lose games, you fight to get out, you get healthy, you go on and things go wrong. "
Kerr tried to create a positive atmosphere during his team's recent bad run, which dates back to the November 12th loss in overtime on the road leading to the Los Angeles Clippers. This defeat was overshadowed by a verbal altercation between Green and Durant who shook the team and forced Green to miss a win against the Atlanta Hawks on November 13th due to a suspension of the game. a match for "detrimental conduct to the team" after exchanging words with Durant.
While players and coaches said the group outperformed the incident – Durant was significantly more optimistic on Wednesday before the match – the reality is that the team has not been to the page since now more than a week while she was trying to find the center again without curry.
"It's a long season, dude," backup leader Quinn Cook said. "Two weeks ago, we were unbeatable … the best team of all time, now we face a little adversity, we lose four, we believe each other." A champion basketball club, we know that we have to be better, but the season is long. "
Veteran guard Klay Thompson echoed similar sentiments, saying his group would soon see better days. One of the major problems for the team in the short term is that young players like Damian Jones, Damion Lee, Kevon Looney and the new addition, Jonas Jerebko, are still trying to find their place in the system while Curry and Green recover.
"You never want to apologize in this league," Thompson said. "But we still have a lot of new guys and guys, and we always get used to playing together, it was not good tonight, but it's not the case in four games." Want to take a bright spot tonight, this is the first time we have lost four games in a row with Steve, so for his five years here it's pretty amazing if you really think about it. "
Instead of indulging in the way that has unfolded the last week and a half, Warriors players came out of the locker room Wednesday night, confident that they could turn the tables around at a house consecutively against the Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings.
"They are not just going to come in. We have to get them here," said Durant, about the idea that better days were coming for the Warriors. "I trust everyone in the locker room that we are going to make sure that these better days are happening, but it's not just going out of nowhere and getting better for us."
Kerr said jokingly that he could try a new tactic to relax his team in preparation for the next game on Friday.
"I think I'm juggling the shootout on Friday," Kerr said. "And you know this paddle-ball game I'm not very good at it, but I could try it too."
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