Steph Curry
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Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors is a four-time NBA champion.
After winning eight of their last 11 games, the Golden State Warriors came crashing back down to earth despite a 31-point night from Steph Curry. The Warriors were no match for a tall, long and athletic Atlanta Hawks team on Sunday at the Chase Center.
According to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area, the young Hawks team “exposed” the Warriors’ greatest weakness this season: size. Poole also added how athletic and youthful the post-Trae Young team in Atlanta looked.
“The Warriors are short; the Hawks are lengthy. The Warriors are light on elite athleticism; the Hawks could assemble a very good 400-meter relay squad. The Hawks showcased active, disruptive defenders and had enough shooters to take full advantage of the havoc they created against Golden State. Kryptonite,” Poole wrote.
The game was pretty close in the first half before the Hawks took over and controlled the game in the third quarter. The Warriors were forced to make tough shots and create mistakes, which led to turnovers and points for the other team.
Curry Speaks About Loss to Hawks
Speaking to reporters after the game, Steph Curry credited the win to the Atlanta Hawks’ combination of size and defense. Curry acknowledged that the Golden State Warriors couldn’t do anything about it despite their best efforts.
“We struggled to get paint touches tonight. The ball was kind of just swinging around the perimeter, and they were able to keep five bodies on bodies. That’s usually what good defenses do. Tonight, we didn’t have that answer,” Curry said, via NBC Sports Bay Area.
The two-time MVP finished with 31 points, three rebounds and five assists in the Warriors’ 124-111 loss. Jimmy Butler added 30 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals, but it wasn’t enough to prevent their 19th loss of the season.
Six players for the Hawks scored in double digits, led by Nickeil Alexander-Walker with 24 points. Jalen Johnson had 23 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, while Luke Kennard scored 22 points and knocked down six 3-point shots off the bench.
Warriors Need More From Their Role Players
In addition to Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler, De’Anthony Melton was the only other player to score at least 10 points for the Golden State Warriors. Melton finished with 10 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Draymond Green scored just five points, Brandin Podziemski had three points and the rest barely got any baskets when the team needed them the most.
Peter O’Keefe of Blue Man Hoop reiterated the Warriors’ need to make a big trade on or before the February 5 deadline. They need a legitimate third option on offense if they want to contend in a loaded Western Conference.
“Whether it’s Michael Porter Jr., Trey Murphy III or another bonafide scorer, the Warriors need to execute a seismic trade before the deadline to not only maximize Curry, but the greatness of Butler as well,” O’Keefe wrote.
However, Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported that Porter is not a “lock” to get traded by the Brooklyn Nets. Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime followed it up with the New Orleans Pelicans opting to keep some of their players, like Murphy.