What we learned as Dubs waste Steph’s dazzling display in loss to Heat

On January 8, 2025By Littum

What we learned as Dubs waste Steph’s dazzling display in loss to Heat originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – The term “must-win game” is thrown around sports at a grotesquely overused rate. The Warriors’ game against the Miami Heat on Tuesday at the Chase Center fits the definition.

With Jimmy Butler on the sidelines due to a team suspensionthe Heat crawled into the Warriors’ home court a night later lost to the Sacramento Kings in double overtime. Two nights ago, the Warriors were embarrassed by a 30 point loss to the Kings in front of Dub Nation. Tuesday’s was a match they absolutely could not drop.

But they did, 114-98.

There have been frustrating losses down the stretch, like the Christmas game and wild finishes in Denver and Houston. The Warriors have also lost by more points. Between the timing of the opponent and witnessing Steph Curry’s greatness consistently go to waste, nothing tops this loss.

In 33 minutes, Curry scored a game-high 31 points on 11-of-22 shooting, including 8-of-17 on threes, and had seven rebounds. The Warriors are now 5-2 in games where Curry scores 30 or more points this season.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ second straight loss, which dropped them to 18-18 on the season.

Steph vs. All

Someone tells Curry to grab some cardboard and a black Sharpie to write two words: Help wanted.

Watching Curry, two months after turning 37 years old, have to go 1-for-5 while being guarded like he was in the midst of his unanimous NBA MVP season was excruciating, especially in the first half. Curry scored eight points in the first quarter and 12 points in the second, making him 20 on 7-of-12 shooting and 6 of 10 on 3-pointers. The rest of the Warriors were nowhere near his level.

Eight other Warriors saw action going into halftime, and they combined for 28 points while going 12 of 43 from the field (27.9 percent) and 2 of 19 on 3-pointers (10.5 percent). Curry’s backcourt mate, Dennis Schröder, was held scoreless. Andrew Wiggins only contributed four points.

Schröder finished with five points and Wiggins had nine. Non-Curry players shot 18.2 percent, 6 of 33, on 3-pointers.

Light point

With so many of Curry’s teammates being big disappointments, the one who stepped up the most was someone who didn’t show up the previous game. Kings star center Domantas Sabonis dropped 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting with 13 rebounds and seven assists in the Warriors’ loss to Sacramento, a game in which their starting center, Trayce Jackson-Davis, was held scoreless for the first time this season.

In the rough show, Jackson-Davis had more turnovers (three) and fouls (three) than rebounds (two). He made up for that performance against the Heat.

Through three quarters, Jackson-Davis was already up to a season-high 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting. He then did not have a single shot attempt in the fourth.

Jackson-Davis’ aggressiveness has to be acknowledged though, throwing down a poster dunk and later even finding himself chest to chest with Terry Rozier.

Looks up The heat

What is Warriors owner Joe Lacob thinking right now as he shakes his head from his courtside seat? How many texts and calls will general manager Mike Dunleavy make tomorrow? This is the kind of loss where a poorly run franchise makes a coaching change despite being given a flawed roster.

The boos came out at times, and not just when Heat players were at the free throw line. The fans are tired. Here’s the reality: The 2025 NBA trade deadline is less than a month away, and there isn’t one move that will save this team.

Trade with the Disgruntled Butler is not a desired decision from the Warriors’ front office, for now. Maybe they go a level below to offset their role players and future draft picks to have the best player in franchise history make a difference next to him on the field. Something. Something.

These Warriors are not good enough. But settling with the current product would be nothing but negligence in real time.

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