The Warriors’ 111 to 103 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night represented a clear turning point.
With Golden State losing 101-100, Memphis arrested Andrew Wiggins along the sideline and forced a robbery. Grayson Allen intercepted Wiggins’ wandering pass, escaping for a dunk to give the Grizzlies a three-point lead with 1:43 remaining.
The Warriors never led again.
The Grizzlies arrested Wiggins a few feet from Warriors coach Steve Kerr, but he intriguingly chose not to ask for a timeout. Kerr admitted in his post-game videoconference that he should.
“It was my fault,” Kerr told reporters. “As soon as I saw him in jail, I should have run on the court and taken a break and I didn’t do that.”
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Exactly four weeks ago, the Warriors’ inability to call the timeout cost them an intimate loss. However, this was not for want of an attempt, as Kerr attempted to time out the Golden State’s 102-100 defeat by Charlotte Hornets. Instead, Charlotte forced a ball into the air, setting in motion a chain of events that led to the ejection of Draymond Green and, ultimately, a resounding loss.
The Warriors are now 8-9 in single-digit games this season. If Kerr had asked for the Warriors’ timeout and Saturday game and competition a month ago, the Golden State would have been two games behind the Portland Trail Blazers.
Instead, the Warriors are ninth in the Western Conference and four games behind their stated goal of avoiding games played for a post-season spot. Time will tell if these margins are more expensive.
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