Rick Egan/Associated Press
Rick Egan/Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY — Draymond Green patiently answered several questions about his team’s pending trade for Jimmy Butler, offering long and insightful answers. But when a reporter began to ask what happened in the fourth quarter Wednesday night, Green turned succinct.
“It f—ing sucked,” he said.
On a night the Golden State Warriors shook up their roster, they wobbled early and then surged to life — only to collapse down the stretch and lose to lowly Utah.
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The Warriors blew an 11-point lead in the final three minutes and fell 131-128 to the Jazz at Delta Center. Utah scored 20 points in those three minutes — yes, 20 points in three minutes — to send the Warriors unhappily trudging to Los Angeles.
Jordan Clarkson scored 31 points for Utah. The Warriors wasted 32 points from Stephen Curry and a career-high 29 from Brandin Podziemski.
Curry lamented several “easy shots” he missed. He made only 12 of 31 from the field (a season high in attempts), as he tried to carry a short-handed Warriors team to victory.
“We’re finding new ways to lose, which is frustrating for sure,” Curry said. “Hopefully, a new chapter begins now.”
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The Warriors (25-25) seemed to have control when they took a 122-111 lead on Green’s two free throws at the 3-minute mark. But the Jazz scored the game’s next eight points to trim their deficit to three with 1:39 left.
Clarkson and Keyonte George (26 points) each made a key 3-pointer down the stretch, and Walker Kessler blocked two shots in the final two-plus minutes. Curry missed a short jumper with 12 seconds left and the Warriors down one.
“We’ve just got to learn how to finish games,” Gary Payton II said. “That’s been our problem all year. … I don’t know why we just crumble at the end.”
Or, as head coach Steve Kerr said simply, “Brutal, brutal loss.”
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Kerr pointed to some costly fouls in the final three minutes, plus a sloppy pass by Curry leading to a turnover. Kerr also noted Kessler’s blocked shots, both of which led to quick 3-point shots by the Jazz.
The game had a surreal flavor from the start.
Warriors players learned of the not-yet-official trade for Butler about an hour before tipoff. Kerr gathered the team in its locker room — summoning Curry from his pregame warmup routine on the court — to share the news.
The pending deal cost the Warriors four players they had expected to suit up — Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schröder, Kyle Anderson and Lindy Waters III — and left them severely short-handed. They had 10 players in uniform, with guard Moses Moody (lower back strain) and center Trayce Jackson-Davis (knee soreness) also sidelined.
That group of 10 included three players on two-way contracts: Quinten Post, who again started at center, along with guard Pat Spencer and forward Jackson Rowe, making his NBA debut.
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The Warriors started slowly, perhaps not surprising given the pregame tumult. They fell behind 8-0 and 26-12 against a Jazz team dragging along the worst record in the Western Conference entering the game (now 12-37, a game ahead of New Orleans).
Then they began to wake up. Podziemski, who essentially replaced Wiggins in the starting lineup, became more assertive on offense as Golden State steadily chipped away.
The Warriors ultimately moved ahead and led 58-56 at halftime. Podziemski scored 17 points in the first half, while Curry added 12.
But any good vibes evaporated in those painful final three minutes, punctuating a difficult night.
“We needed the game,” Kerr said. “That’s what makes this such a tough day for all of us. You go through that (trading several players) — at least win the game. A really, really tough day.”
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The loss launched a six-game road trip for the Warriors, leading into next week’s All-Star break. They play again Thursday night in Los Angeles against LeBron James and the Lakers.
Reach Ron Kroichick: [email protected]; X: @ronkroichick
