After dropping the season opener by 26 points to the Brooklyn Nets, things got worse for the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Milwaukee quickly turned a 10 point lead against Golden State at halftime into a 24 point lead heading to the fourth quarter. The Bucks continued to pour it on in the final quarter, resulting in consecutive blowout losses for the Warriors to start the season, 138-99.
While reigning Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo struggled to find his shot, hitting only 4-of-14 from the field, his fellow All-Star teammate picked up the slack. Sharpshooter Khris Middleton scored a game-high 31 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field with five assists, four rebounds and two steals.
Middleton did extra damage against Golden State from beyond the arc, knocking down six 3-pointers on eight attempts.
Golden State couldn’t answer back on the offensive end, struggling to hit open shots for the second straight game. As a team, the Warriors shot 34.3% from the field and a lowly 22.2% from deep.
Following two games against Eastern Conference contenders, the Warriors will have a chance to turn it around in the second leg of their road trip with stops in Chicago and Detroit.
Steph Curry’s low numbers on Christmas Day continue
Nick Monroe/Handout Photo-USA TODAY Sports
Over his career, Steph Curry has played in eight games on Christmas Day. In each game, the former two-time Most Valuable Player has failed to score 20 points. In the 2020 edition of Christmas Day against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Golden State point guard tallied 19 points on 6-of-17 shooting from the field with six assists, four rebounds and a steal in 29 minutes. Curry struggled to find his rhythm from long distance for the second consecutive game, shooting 2-of-10 from 3-point range. For the season, Curry is shooting a surprising 4-of-20 on 3-point attempts. Via @NBCSWarriors on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NBCSWarriors/status/1342581432754057216?s=20
Kelly Oubre Jr. in shooting slump to start the season
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
In his Golden State debut, Kelly Oubre Jr. struggled to find his shot, shooting 3-of-14 from the field with an 0-for-6 clip from long distance. Against the Bucks, Oubre Jr.’s slump continued. The new Warrior wing notched only three points on 1-of-10 shooting from the field. Oubre Jr. failed to knock down a triple again on five attempts against Milwaukee. The Kansas product added five rebounds, an assist and a steal in 20 minutes on Christmas. To notch their first win of the season, the Warriors will need Oubre Jr. to break his slump and develop into a scoring complement alongside Curry.
James Wiseman is living up to the hype
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Following his 19 point effort in his NBA debut against the Nets, James Wiseman shined again as the lone bright spot in Golden State’s ugly loss to the Bucks. Golden State’s No. 2 overall pick from the 2020 draft scored 18 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field with eight rebounds and three blocks in 25 minutes. The 7-footer also displayed his range, dropping in a trio of 3-pointers on four attempts. Although the Warriors have struggled to start the season, Wiseman’s performance after missing the start of training camp and the preseason is a positive sign for the future. Via @warriors on Twitter: https://twitter.com/warriors/status/1342559894742786048?s=20
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