Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr says the defending champions are playing "scattered" basketball after slumping to their eighth straight road loss to open the 2022-23 season.
The Warriors were brushed aside by the Phoenix Suns 130-119 on Wednesday, leaving Golden State with a 6-9 record, and their first 0-8 road record to start since the 1989-90 season.
Golden State's road start is the worst ever by a defending champion in NBA history. The eight-game losing run is also a tie for third for longest road streak by a defending champion in their title-defense season.
"What we have to do is stay with it and find it," Kerr told reporters. "In order to find it, we've got to get everybody on board, on the same page in terms of just worrying about winning and that's it.
"Right now, we're just scattered. It's a pick-up game. It's a pick-up game out there. There's no execution at either end. There's no commitment to the group to get three stops in a row to execute on offense.
"It obviously starts with me. I'm the coach of the team. I have to figure out a way to get that production, that sort of commitment to the team and each other and to winning.
"There's no collective grit. We lack grit right now. When you don't have grit, the game is really easy for the other team... It’s a Drew League game. We’re playing a Drew League game right now.”
The Warriors continue to struggle defensively, having allowed 124.3 points per game on the road this season, which is the worst in the NBA.
Phoenix were the sixth Golden State opponent to score 120 or more points in their 15 games this season.
"I think we're feeling sorry for ourselves and no one is going to feel sorry for us," Kerr added. "Everyone can't wait to play us and kick our a***. We've had a lot of success and a lot of fun and joy beating people over the years and teams don’t forget that."
Stephen Curry was a lone hand on offense, scoring 50 points including making seven-of-11 from beyond the arc, but the Warriors' bench only added 17 points collectively.
"It's not about stats. Steph could probably go and score 75 if he wanted," Kerr said. "I think it's not about numbers. Steph played well, and nobody else did. It's about the team, it's about the commitment. That's what makes basketball special and this team special over the years."
Los Angeles Lakers defeat Indiana Pacers to win inaugural In-Season Tournament
The Los Angeles Lakers are the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament champions after a 41-point effort from Anthony Davis propelled the side to a 123-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers in the final in Las Vegas.
Davis also had 20 rebounds, while LeBron James posted 24 points and 11 rebounds to help the Lakers become the first team to lift the NBA Cup.
James, now in his 21st year in the league, added to his extensive trophy cabinet by being named In-Season Tournament MVP.
Los Angeles led for most of the game, but Indiana responded to almost every Lakers run with one of their own to keep themselves within striking distance.
That all shifted late in the fourth quarter when the Lakers turned a four-point advantage into a 16-point lead and held on from there.
Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton, who had been the central figure in the Pacers’ run to the final, was targeted by the Lakers’ defence from the jump.
He was restricted to 20 points but managed to add 11 assists, while Bennedict Mathurin had 20 points off the bench.
NBA: Lakers beat Pacers to win inaugural In-Season Tournament behind Davis' 41 points and 20 rebounds
Anthony Davis had a monster game with season highs of 41 points and 20 rebounds and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers, 123-109 on Saturday in Las Vegas to win the inaugural In-Season Tournament championship.
Davis shot 16 of 24 from the field and 9 of 13 from the foul line while adding five assists and four blocks.
Austin Reaves added 28 points and tournament MVP LeBron James had 24 and 11 rebounds for Los Angeles, which didn’t put the game away until a 15-3 run late in the fourth quarter turned a 100-96 lead into a 115-99 advantage.
The game was the only one in the tournament that didn’t count in the standings, but there was still plenty at stake.
In addition to a trophy, Lakers players on standard two-way contracts each made $500,000 and the Pacers received $200,000 apiece.
Tyrese Haliburton had 20 points and 11 assists and Benedict Mathurin also scored 20 as the Pacers suffered their first tournament loss after six wins.
Warriors 'good enough for championship', but Kerr demands mistakes stop after Thunder loss
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr believes his team are good enough to win the NBA championship, but only if they cut out the kind of errors which cost them against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday.
The Warriors slumped to 10-12 as they finished on the wrong side of a thrilling contest at Paycom Center, losing 138-136 in overtime.
Golden State led 62-56 at halftime before the Thunder rallied, with Stephen Curry – who finished with a team-high 34 points – making a series of big shots to keep them in the game past regulation.
From there, however, mistakes cost the Warriors as the Thunder scored eight points off four turnovers in the extra period, winning it when Chet Holmgren fed Luguentz Dort for a decisive layup.
Kerr's team have now lost their last five road games, the last three of those defeats coming by a combined margin of four points, and he knows errors are contributing to them finishing on the wrong side of the fine margins.
"We're good enough to win a championship," Kerr said after the game. "With this team. I believe that.
"But if we are just going to turn it over and throw the ball to the other team and foul over and over, then we're going to lose."
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 38 points for the Thunder, and despite the Warriors enduring an inconsistent campaign, he believes the way they fought back against the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022 NBA champions was something of a statement.
"We've got a bunch of competitors on the team, guys that don't back down, guys that want to be great," Gilgeous-Alexander said.
"We all know that to be great, you've got to test yourself against the great.
"Obviously, that's a dynasty that came in here today, and there's been multiple games like that this year. When we play the best of the best, we rise to the challenge."
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