For Warriors, awful end to great road swing

It was an awful game for the Warriors. A historically awful game. It took place Sunday at the end of what had been a successful and encouraging road trip. However, it surely made the trip seem worse—as if anything could be worse than being down 44 points at halftime to the despised Celtics at TD Garden in Boston.

Or for that matter anywhere. Yet it only was one game, which determines very little. Other than the indisputable fact the Celtics, with the 140-88 victory, are every bit as good as people say.

Then again, when the teams played at San Francisco's Chase Center in December, the Warriors won. Perhaps not as awesome as the Celtics did this game, that one a 132-126 victory in overtime. But this isn’t European soccer. They don’t count cumulative scores. And while this one was jarring emotionally, it didn’t mean any more or less than a one-point defeat.

More important and no less impressive was the victory at Toronto on Friday night after the Warriors spent Thursday night until around 9 am on Friday morning stuck on a jet because of airline problems.

No whining there, just winning.

That’s the mark of a focused team. You were reminded of the San Francisco 49ers of the 1980s. Ice, snow, the gloom of darkness? Who cares? Where’s the ball?  

This Sunday, too often the ball was in the hands of the Celtics and in short order in the basket. If the traveling hadn’t caught up with the Warriors, who were on an eight-game road win streak, Boston definitely had.

The Warriors, who were banged up Sunday, were also ineffective. Steph Curry, bothered by bursitis in his right knee, missed all nine of his 3-point attempts and finished with only 4 points.

Yes, awful historically and perhaps bewildering.

Although not to the point where Warriors coach Steve Kerr could allow it to linger, Kerr smartly took out Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green after the first half because it made sense—particularly in the case of Thompson who has a sore hamstring.

Kerr had what might be described as a typical coaching response to an atypical Warriors game. “You flush it down the toilet,” Kerr told Monty Poole at NBC Bay Area. “We had a great road trip, 3-1. We've had a million games. Boston was amazing. We weren't beating them today. So, we head home and get ready for Wednesday.”

When the Warriors face the Milwaukee Bucks at Chase, as the cliché goes—for a reason—no easy task, but most likely considerably easier than trying to stop the Celtics. A 44-point halftime lead? Wow.

“At least there wasn't a lot of wear,” Kerr said. “But it's different when you give a guy a day off. If he gets a day off, it's mentally refreshing as well. So, this was not a day off for Steph, although he probably could have used one. He's played so well and for so long this year. But hopefully, the next few days will get him recharged. Hopefully he'll go out and play golf or something and get away from it and come back Wednesday night ready.”