Two free-throws. Two.
That's all the Golden State Warriors were able to manufacture throughout Tuesday night's game against the Philadelphia 76ers, subsequently leading to a 113-94 defeat that was their last outing before the trade deadline.
The absence of Jimmy Butler was on full display as the Warriors failed to generate any interior presence, proving incredibly 3-point reliant despite Stephen Curry sitting on the sidelines with his own knee issue.
Jimmy Butler's absence evident in 114-93 loss to 76ers
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Golden State led by one at the end of the first period, only for the visitors to generate an emphatic run to go up 15 by midway through the second-quarter. The Warriors did pull it back to just three by half-time, but their offense was woeful in the second-half and particularly in the third where the hosts put up just 16 points.
The 76ers were without a pair of stars themselves in Joel Embiid and Paul George, while the Warriors kept Tyrese Maxey to only 14 points on 3-of-9 shooting from the floor and 1-of-5 from 3-point range.
Yet others stood up for Philadelphia as eight players scored double figures, headlined by impressive rookie guard VJ Edgecombe who finished with 25 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals in nearly 40 minutes.
In contrast, Golden State couldn't get anyone to consistently step up without Butler and Curry available. Pat Spencer and Gui Santos led the team in scoring with 13 points apiece, while Moses Moody (12), De'Anthony Melton (10) and Al Horford (10) all scraped their way to double-digit scoring.
The Warriors didn't help themselves with 20 turnovers, most of which came in the first-half. Combine that with Philadelphia winning the offensive rebounding count 25-8, and Golden State never really had a chance without their two major stars.
All the focus now shifts to whether the Warriors can get a third star before Thursday's trade deadline, with the front office focused on trying to orchestrate a trade for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
[Head coach Steve Kerr admitted post-game](https://x.com/anthonyVslater/status/2018921478138519715) that all the trade chatter could have impacted the team's effort against the 76ers. Did we just Draymond Green's last game with Golden State after nearly 14 years? Multiple reports have surfaced stating the franchise legend is part of trade conversations.
Green played just over 25 minutes on Tuesday night, recording six points, seven rebounds and three assists on 2-of-7 shooting while finishing as a team-worst -27 in the 19-point defeat.