It’s safe to say that against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, Klay Thompson wasn’t his team’s issue. The Golden State Warriors star continued his outstanding play from the previous three weeks with 26 points, four rebounds, four assists, and an 8-of-15 shooting performance from beyond the arc. But the Warriors’ propensity for turnovers proved to be more crippling than ever in a 132-118 loss to the Bulls, who were playing without DeMar DeRozan. It wasn’t enough to push the Warriors to victory.
The loss moves Golden State to 21-22 overall, including a hideous 4-17 away from Chase Center, tied for the fewest road wins in basketball. The defending champions, incredibly, have yet to win consecutive road games as the season has passed its midpoint.
Team-wide turnover problems highlight reactions from the Dubs' ugly loss in Chicago.
(via @armstrongwinter)https://t.co/vLVblmIoKw— Warriors Nation (@WarriorNationCP) January 15, 2023
Needless to say, that’s not exactly a resumé befitting a top-tier title contender. Is Thompson worried by the Warriors’ potential inability to play winning basketball when it matters most, though? Let’s just say not quite.
“None. Zero. Zero,” Thompson replied when asked after the game if he’s concerned about Golden State’s chances in the playoffs. “Just get us there healthy in one piece, hopefully with a decent seed.”
The Warriors are currently eighth in a tightly-packed Western Conference, just a half game ahead of the 11th-place Portland Trail Blazers and one game back of the LA Clippers in sixth. Their +0.6 net rating ranks seventh in the West and 13th overall, per Cleaning the Glass, further evidence that Golden State’s near-.500 record is an accurate representation of its standing league-wide.
Will that change come the postseason? A defiant, stoic Thompson seems absolutely sure of it, despite mounting corroboration otherwise.
“I’ve been in this league a long time and I have all the confidence in the world in this team. I’m not gonna be concerned at this point in the season,” he said. “I know we’ll right the ship. I know it in my heart.”
Klay Thompson and the Warriors get another opportunity to do just come Monday’s matinee with the Washington Wizards.
Source: https://clutchpoints.com
