Category: NBA

What we learned as Steph Curry drops 27 in Warriors' bounce-back win over Nets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

An ugly overtime loss to the Toronto Raptors, where the Warriors blew another fourth-quarter lead, had to be quickly flushed with a game the next night in Brooklyn against the Nets. 

The response from the Warriors was a 120-107 win over the Nets at Barclays Center, beating one of the NBA’s hottest teams this month. The Warriors, now 17-16, have just one more game in 2025 when Steph Curry gets to enjoy a Charlotte homecoming against the Hornets on New Year’s Eve. 

Curry (27 points) and Jimmy Butler (21 points) combined to score 48 points as the rest of the Warriors’ starting five scored 14.

At least this one counted 😉 pic.twitter.com/2PG1AbWozO

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 30, 2025

Here’s what coach Steve Kerr will be happiest about: The Warriors won the turnover battle, outrebounded the Nets, went 28 of 34 on free throws and received contributions throughout the roster. 

The Warriors’ bench outscored the Nets 58-27, and all eight players who came off their bench had a positive plus/minus.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ win over the Nets (10-20):

Gotham City Duo 

As if playing 41 minutes and scoring 39 points the night prior wasn’t enough. There isn’t another road arena where Curry scores at a higher clip than Barclays Center. He came into Monday averaging 30.1 points per game against the Nets on the road, and was ready to do whatever it took to get the Warriors back in the win column.

Butler made sure Curry had his trusted sidekick beside him. That became most evident during the third quarter. Curry in the third quarter scored 10 straight points for the Warriors, and then watched Butler score the Dubs’ last 11 points without him.

Butler was a perfect 4 of 4 from the field and 5 of 6 on free throws for 13 points in the third quarter, and Curry’s 10 points came from making three of his four field goals and both of his free throws.

Jimmy has the Dubs' last 11 points 🔥 pic.twitter.com/NWlRcoh0S0

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 30, 2025

The two scored 23 of the Warriors’ 30 points in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Warriors were able to lean into their strength in numbers.

On a night where the Warriors were cold from 3-point range, Curry’s five total threes were half of the team’s 10. Butler didn’t attempt one 3-pointer. His damage was done at the free-throw line, where he went 11 of 12.

Dipping Into Depth

Since Al Horford played 17 minutes Sunday in the first game of a back-to-back and De’Anthony Melton was inactive to preserve his health, their roles were flipped Monday. Melton was back in and it was time for Horford to take a seat. On the second night of a back-to-back, where the Warriors went to overtime and lost in Toronto the previous night.

Steve Kerr turned to his bench quickly, even bringing some surprises to his rotation. Gui Santos was a healthy DNP (Did Not Play) in each of the last two games, yet was Kerr’s first man off the bench Monday for his size against a bigger Brooklyn team. Kerr used 10 players in the first quarter and 13 by halftime, with Buddy Hield, Pat Spencer and Will Richard joining the party in the second quarter. 

The Warriors had 14 healthy players available Monday. Jonathan Kuminga was the only one who remained on the bench in his warmup gear. But Kerr’s decisions made a big difference. All eight bench players had a positive plus/minus in the first half, and their reserves had outscored the Nets 33-13.

Pat to Gary to Trayce 🤌 pic.twitter.com/3K44PazW0K

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 30, 2025

Brandin Podziemski, who played 10 minutes in the first half as a plus-9 with four points and two rebounds, then started the third quarter in place of Quinten Post.

The closing lineup featured the trio of Curry, Butler and Green, plus Melton and Richard. Nobody was better in the fourth quarter than Richard. The rookie played 11 minutes and was a plus-13, scoring 10 points and swiping two steals. Melton was a game-high plus-26, and Richard was second to him at plus-22.

Trade Season Auditions?

With the calendar year near a close, Jan. 15 being a few weeks away and the Feb. 5 trade deadline less than two months from now, scenarios are being created for how the Warriors can improve their roster. Perhaps two players from their opponent on Monday night can help. 

Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton have been connected to the Warriors, and both are being watched closely by the fan base. It didn’t take long to see why. By the time the Warriors had eight points, so did Porter. He scored the first three points of the game from a wide-open corner three and ended the first quarter with 10 points. Porter was the second or third option in Denver with the Nuggets. Against the Warriors, he continued to prove why he can be a top option during the best season of his career. 

Porter was up to 17 points at halftime, seven more than the Warriors’ leading scorer, who was Curry at 10 points. He still was the game’s leading scorer with 25 points through three quarters. Porter’s 27 points were tied for a game-high with Curry, scoring beyond the arc, in the midrange and at the rim.

While Claxton is averaging a career high in points per game, he impacts the game in a handful of other ways. Claxton would have been the Warriors’ third-leading scorer with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting, and he also would have led them in rebounds (nine), steals (three) and blocked shots (three).

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Maxey sits 2nd in East in 1st All-Star fan voting returns  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Tyrese Maxey sure seems on track for his second NBA All-Star selection.

The Sixers’ franchise guard ranked second among Eastern Conference players in the first batch of fan voting returns released Monday with 1,072,449 votes. Maxey trailed only Giannis Antetokounmpo in the East and was directly in front of fellow guards Jalen Brunson, Cade Cunningham and Donovan Mitchell. Teammate Joel Embiid was in 17th place.

Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo lead their conferences in the first fan returns in NBA All-Star Voting 2026.

Fans (50% of the vote) join NBA players (25%) and a media panel (25%) in selecting five players in each conference honored as starters.

Next fan update: 1/6. pic.twitter.com/pHykl9yhTE

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 29, 2025

“Being here last year, I was blown away with how good he was,” Paul George said on Dec. 10, “how mature he was, how instinctive of a leader he was. And just to watch him grow over this year with how much better he’s gotten, it’s kind of like the sky’s the limit.” 

Maxey’s one previous All-Star appearance came in the 2023-24 season. He won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award that year, too. 

Starters will be determined by a combination of fan voting (weighted at 50 percent), player voting (25 percent) and media panel voting (25 percent). Head coaches will choose seven reserves from each conference.

The 2026 All-Star Game is set for Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles and will feature a new USA vs. World format.

JJ Redick called his players out. The Lakers answered.

The Lakers responded to three blowout losses and a spirited team meeting by playing one of their most complete games of the season Sunday to earn a 125-101 win over the Sacramento Kings at Crypto.com Arena. For the first time this year, the Lakers (20-10) outscored their opponent in every quarter with Luka Doncic (34 points) and LeBron James (24 points) leading the way despite Austin Reaves’ absence.

“Hopefully,” forward Jake LaRavia said, “this is the first of a mini win streak.”

Here are three takeaways from the win:

Read more:After talking through problems, Lakers find unexpected third scorer to end losing streak

Nick Smith Jr. is ready for his moment

Nick Smith Jr. placed his newest souvenir nonchalantly underneath the news conference table. This game ball will likely go to his mother.

Smith earned it Sunday with a starring performance off the bench while filling in for the injured Reaves. The 21-year-old guard on a two-way contract scored 21 points on eight-for-14 shooting with three rebounds and one assist. He made five three-pointers, including his first four from beyond the arc while starting seven for seven from the field.

With Reaves sidelined for at least a month with a grade two strain in his left calf, Smith will be in line for more consistent minutes, Redick said before the game. Especially with fellow guard Gabe Vincent missing his fourth game because of a back injury Sunday, the Lakers need Smith’s ballhandling and shiftiness alongside James and Doncic.

But to offset the loss of their second-leading scorer, the Lakers are most desperate for Smith’s scoring.

“It's why we wanted him on the Lakers and part of our program, because we knew he could score,” Redick said. “I like when he's aggressive. … If he could just do him within our structure, a lot of times, good things happen.”

Smith has already flashed his scoring potential in big moments. The former first-round draft pick who signed with the Lakers a day before training camp started rescued the team with 25 points in Portland in a game without James, Doncic or Reaves. He had 12 points in 14 minutes off the bench against Toronto when the Lakers survived thanks to a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Rui Hachimura.

“We trust him,” Redick said before the game.

After getting waived by the Charlotte Hornets, Smith recognized that he hasn’t had this level of trust from a coaching staff “in a long time.” To have it “means everything,” he added.

“It's a different stage, you know, where I came from, and I understand that,” Smith said. “So I just want to make sure I'm ready. … I'm just blessed to be here, just have the opportunity just to even play with the Lakers and stuff like that, even be in the league. A lot of guys where I'm from would, like, love to be in this situation.”

JJ Redick switches rotation with Austin Reaves sidelined

It’s not just Reaves’ absence that is shaking up the Lakers rotation. Redick experimented with a new substitution pattern that could allow Doncic and James to individually lead the offense more often.

Doncic, who typically plays the entire first quarter, subbed out with 2:31 remaining in the first quarter Sunday. James kept his typical first-quarter pattern of playing roughly the first six minutes, sitting for three, then returning for the final three. Doncic would typically sit for the first five to six minutes of the second quarter, but returned Sunday at the 9:12 mark of the second.

“It just gives more time for those guys to sort of be the quarterback without the other one,” Redick said. “Having said that, we ran a lot of stuff for them to be in two-man action, for them to be part of the play together tonight. So it's not like we're trying to, like, keep them apart. It's just kind of the nature of what we're trying to do, and we're going to do this for the foreseeable future, and just see how it goes.”

Read more:Lakers 'recalibrate' after Austin Reaves injury, three-game losing streak

Pressed by Redick to set the tone for a better start after the Lakers struggled in first quarters of their three blowout losses, Doncic and James combined for 19 points in the first quarter. Doncic leads the league in scoring and first-quarter scoring, but instead wanted to focus on distributing the ball early. All of the Lakers starters had at least one shot in the first three minutes of the game.

“Just trying to get everybody involved more than I used to,” Doncic said. “Everybody got some shots up today. Just shows when we share the ball, when we move the ball, it’s great for us.”

The Lakers had 25 assists on 47 made shots Sunday. They are 19-4 when they have 23 or more assists and 1-6 with 22 or fewer.

Detroit matchup gives Lakers a chance at a Houston do-over

The Lakers’ win over the struggling Kings (8-24) matters. It prevented the season from inching closer to disaster with a fourth consecutive loss. The defensive energy and effort, especially during a 13-2 run to start the third quarter, showed the team’s character in response to a deflating three-game skid.

But the win also doesn’t make a major statement. The Lakers improved to 13-3 against teams with losing records. They are just 7-7 against teams .500 or better. Those losses were by an average of 19.6 points.

Read more:Lakers guard Austin Reaves out for at least a month because of calf injury

Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Pistons could be the statement game the Lakers are looking for.

The Pistons, who lead the Eastern Conference with a 24-7 record, are the NBA’s second-best rebounding team behind only Houston. The Rockets just dominated the Lakers, outrebounding L.A. by 23 last Thursday.

“They play a good brand of basketball,” James said of the Pistons. “It’s that Detroit feeling again. So we got to be ready for that, and I think we should be.”

Center Jalen Duren is averaging a career high 18.3 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. Former first-overall pick Cade Cunningham is also having a career season with 26.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 9.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Kawhi Leonard equalled the Los Angeles Clippers record for most points in a game to help his side beat the Detroit Pistons 112-99.

His 55-point haul is also a career-high total for the 34-year-old, who matched the Clippers record set last month by team-mate James Harden.

Harden added 28 points against the Pistons while Nicolas Batum scored 12 to secure a fourth consecutive win for the Clippers - their best run of the season.

Elsewhere, Luka Doncic and LeBron James helped the Los Angeles Lakers end their three-game losing run with a 125-101 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

Doncic hit five three-pointers on his way to 34 points while James added 24 points before exiting the game midway through the fourth quarter with a back injury.

The 40-year-old collided with Kings guard DeMar DeRozan and was forced to leave the court with 5:43 remaining.

There were also wins on Sunday for the Toronto Raptors, the Washington Wizards and the Portland Trailblazers.

Oklahoma continue to lead the way in the Western Conference as City Thunder saw off the Philadelphia 76ers 129-104.

The Lakers underwent some soul-searching at practice Saturday, with coach JJ Redick starting the conversation before allowing players to speak freely about the team's issues.

It was an attempt by Redick and the team to prevent things from spiraling out of control after three consecutive losses.

When the Lakers faced the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena, Redick wanted to see players executing on defense and playing harder.

The Lakers did exactly that, with Luka Doncic and LeBron James combining for 58 points and 12 assists in a 125-101 win.

Read more:Lakers 'recalibrate' after Austin Reaves injury, three-game losing streak

“I think it definitely starts with us,” said Doncic, who had 34 points, seven assists and five rebounds. “And when AR (Austin Reaves) is back, it’s going to be all three of us. ... We need to show what we can do and if we are going to do it, we both are going to do it. The group is going to follow. ... I think today just shows that everybody was locked in.”

For the Lakers, it was more than Doncic finishing with 34 points, seven assists and five rebounds. It was Doncic playing defense, illustrated best when he blocked a shot by DeMar DeRozan. It was Doncic hustling, such as when he dove to the floor for a loose ball.

Asked how the Lakers responded to Redick’s message, Doncic responded, “very well.”

“I think our effort was very high starting the game like that, getting deflections, getting steals, being physical,” Doncic said.

The win was more than James scoring 24 points and handing out five assists. It was James throwing down a reverse dunk and offering words of wisdom to teammates while also shooting 11 for 13 from the field.

Like Doncic, James was pleased with how things turned out.

“I thought it was a good response,” James said. “I think no matter who is coming into your building, no matter the record of whoever, you have to go out and play the game. The game is won between the four lines. So, I thought we executed that and it was one of the better games we had this year.”

And it also was reserve Nick Smith Jr. finding a role in the rotation and producing, one of the six Lakers scoring in double figures. Smith had 21 points on eight-for-14 shooting, making five of 10 threes.

Rui Hachimura had 12 points, Deandre Ayton had 11 points and 11 rebounds, and Jake LaRavia had 11 points.

“We played together. We played for each other,” Redick said. “We had probably one of our most consistent games, in terms of 48 minutes of just competitive spirit. A couple possessions there towards the end of the third that we tried to be the Harlem Globetrotters.

"But this is the first game ... we've had all year that we've won all four quarters. So I think that just says a lot about the approach and the consistent mentality that we played with tonight.”

The Lakers (20-10) took control from the start of the third quarter, going on a 13-2 run to give them a 26-point lead that reached as high as 30 in the fourth quarter.

Granted, the Kings (8-24) have the second-worst record in the West and were missing injured stars Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Bradley, three of their top four scorers.

But the Lakers lost three straight games because of poor defense and an overall effort that Redick described as "terrible."

And with Austin Reaves out for at least a month because of a calf strain, getting the chance to talk through their issues might end up changing the team's fortunes.

“It's the very first thing that we all sat down yesterday and graded ourselves on — was our habits, our communication and our shape,” Redick said. “And the guys all echoed the same thoughts that we haven't been good.

"For whatever reason, we lost our way a little bit. ... But I thought the communication tonight was excellent, particularly on the defensive end.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Warriors' quest to escape mediocrity keeps slamming headfirst into iron ceiling originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors were warned late in the third quarter, smacked late in the fourth quarter, stomped into defeat in overtime and their long season of futility continues to slog forth.

They were demolished Sunday by the Toronto Raptors, who erased multiple double-digit deficits to pin them with a 141-127 overtime loss that flattened Golden State’s three-game win streak, halted any momentum that might have been built over the past week and, once again, put optimism on pause.

“It sucks,” coach Steve Kerr told reporters at Scotiabank Arena. “We’re on a little bit of a run. We’ve got a chance for some momentum, we control the whole game, and we let it slip.”

“We did enough to win, gave ourselves up a good cushion,” Stephen Curry said. “Just couldn’t get a rebound in too many you know turnovers it turned up the pressure and we just didn’t have enough answers down the stretch.”

If this feels familiar, it should. The Warriors this season are 16-16, have lost 11 of 17 “clutch” games – within five points over the final five minutes – and this marks the seventh time their opponent fought through a double-digit deficit to claim victory.

The Warriors’ preseason vision of not only making the playoffs but establishing an extended postseason run keeps slamming into reality.

The repetitive win/lose pattern of this season has left the team’s coaches and players citing the same problems that are addressed and temporarily solved – turnovers, points in the paint, second- and third-chance shots – only to consistently relapse.

So, naturally, after the Warriors gave Toronto 35 points off 21 turnovers – and often looked as if they had no idea how to break a full-court press – Kerr responded in a way he has all too often this season. He held up his finger and pointed it directly at himself.

“It was just turnovers, end of the third and end of the fourth, we just got scattered,” he said. “I’ve got to get us better organized during those stretches. That’s on me. They turned up the pressure, we didn’t handle it well and they scored 35 points off our turnovers. That was the game.”

The final 54 seconds of the third quarter provided a warning, as the Warriors watched their lead shrink from 12 to four by giving the Raptors eight points off turnovers.

The final 92 seconds of regulation raised the specter of doom, as the Warriors committed three turnovers, wiping out their seven-point (120-113) lead, leaving the game tied and setting up OT.

Toronto owned OT, outscoring the Warriors 19-5 – make it 28-7 over the final six minutes, 32 seconds.

When the Raptors turned up their pressure defense, the Warriors collapsed like a toothpick tent. The seven turnovers that cost them the game were committed by veterans and youngsters alike: Jimmy Butler III, two; and one each by Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Gary Payton II, Brandin Podziemski and rookie Will Richard.

“It was just our spacing,” Podziemski said. “We honestly haven’t worked on teams running and trapping like that, especially in the backcourt. I think we just got to fix our spacing when it comes to our alignment when there’s two people on the ball.”

This is the second time this season the Warriors took the floor chasing their fourth consecutive victory – and the second time a younger, bigger, quicker NBA team impolitely informed them that it will be difficult for their current roster to win with anything remotely resembling consistency.

Golden State’s athletically challenged roster – emphatically so with Jonathan Kuminga racking up DNP-CDs – once again revealed itself as likely to struggle against lengthy active, athletic teams.

Unfortunately, for the Warriors, that description applies to most NBA teams. 

“It’s kind of the nature of the way the league is going,” Curry said. “You have a couple of guys who are on-ball defenders, using their length and athleticism. And then you have guys on the back end who are able to kind of shoot the passing lanes or again use that length to cut off angles.”

Golden State’s current roster has, and will continue to have, difficulty overcoming such defenses – particularly when opponents intensify down the stretch. It’s visible in the seven double-digit leads blown and clutch-game losses.

None of the Warriors are enjoying this. But their quest to escape mediocrity keeps hitting an iron ceiling that, with each ugly loss, becomes more difficult to imagine them cutting through.

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Observations after Sixers get blown out by defending champs, OKC pulls away in 2nd half originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers could not put together two competitive halves Sunday afternoon against the defending champions.

The Thunder pulled away at Paycom Center to earn a 129-104 win and improve to 27-5 on the season. The Sixers fell to 16-14.

Tyrese Maxey had 28 points and five assists. 

OKC’s leading scorers were Chet Holmgren with 29 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 27. 

The Sixers were without Joel Embiid (right ankle sprain and right knee injury management), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain). 

The third stop on the Sixers’ five-game road trip is Memphis, where they’ll play the Grizzlies on Tuesday night. Here are observations on their loss to the Thunder:

Thunder scorching from the start 

Oklahoma City made its first nine field goals.

The Sixers’ defense was not at its finest and the Thunder’s offensive execution was razor-sharp after two straight losses to the Spurs. Jalen Williams beat Paul George on a backdoor cut and laid the ball in. Holmgren scored twice over Dominick Barlow in the post and jammed in an unguarded fast-break dunk. 

In his first career game against the Thunder, VJ Edgecombe defended the reigning MVP. He had a solid start against Gilgeous-Alexander, ceding no cheap fouls, but OKC’s superstar guard is essentially impossible to shut down. Gilgeous-Alexander has now scored over 20 points in 103 consecutive games. The longest streak in NBA history is Wilt Chamberlain’s 126 straight games.

OKC did commit seven turnovers in the first quarter and the Sixers avoided any immediate blowout concerns. A Quentin Grimes three-pointer late in the first gave the Sixers their first lead at 25-24. 

Maxey back on his A-game in first half

Maxey scored nine points in the first few minutes, including a soft scoop shot and a deep jumper. 

He never cooled off in the first half and continued to drive effectively into the heart of the Thunder’s defense. Maxey began 6 for for 6 from the floor and posted 15 of the Sixers’ 29 points in the opening period. He only missed two field goals in the first half on his way to 23 points. 

While there was nothing lucky about Maxey’s shotmaking in Oklahoma City, he was also due for some kind bounces. He’d had subpar shooting nights in the Sixers’ losses to the Nets and Bulls, going 31.6 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from three-point range over those two games. 

The Sixers’ offense relied on Maxey, although the team’s bench did provide much better production than in Friday’s defeat to Chicago. 

Adem Bona had eight points, two blocks and two rebounds in an extended first stint. Justin Edwards knocked down a three as soon as he touched the ball. Jared McCain leaked out ahead of the pack for a layup and Edwards then sunk his third triple of the second quarter to put the Sixers up 58-57. They trailed by two points at intermission.

Best vs. worst in third quarter

OKC’s defense focused more on bothering Maxey after halftime and he didn’t score in the second half until a technical free throw with 7:05 left in the fourth quarter.

Unsurprisingly, Maxey’s lack of scoring coincided with the Thunder’s lead growing. Gilgeous-Alexander’s driving layup capped an 11-0 run and built OKC’s advantage to 86-73.

Neither Edgecombe (10 points on 3-for-16 shooting) nor George (12 points on 4-for-11 shooting) had the sort of efficient performances necessary to pick up Maxey’s slack after halftime.

The Sixers moved to a zone defense late in the third quarter. They weren’t able to stick with it for long, since the Thunder dissected the zone very well. OKC passed 100 points before the end of the third and the NBA’s worst third-quarter team thus far (minus-21.4 net rating entering Sunday) lost the frame by 14 points.

It just so happens that Oklahoma City is the league’s best third-quarter team. For the Sixers, Sunday’s fourth quarter was soon a hopeless cause.

Steve Kerr drops humorous one-liner about Steph Curry for advice to younger self originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steve Kerr knows what advice he’d give his younger self when starting his Warriors coaching career in 2014.

The 60-year-old shared his hilarious answer with reporters on Sunday before Golden State’s 141-127 overtime loss against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena.

“Just coach Steph Curry if you get a chance,” Kerr said. “Stay with that guy. I followed my own advice on that one.”

Steve Kerr's advice for his younger self in 2014?

Be Steph Curry's coach 🤣 pic.twitter.com/AGwVH392Kk

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 28, 2025

There isn’t any better guidance than that.

Kerr has spent his entire 12-year coaching career with Curry and the Warriors, and has enjoyed working with the sharpshooter to form the team’s iconic dynasty, which won four NBA championships and reached six finals between 2014-15 and 2021-22. 

The coach-guard duo also has dominated internationally, winning gold together at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics for an iconic Team USA men’s basketball squad.

Kerr is grateful to have won a lot alongside Curry. He, too, has enjoyed shaping Golden State’s offensive identity around the 11-time NBA All-Star’s 3-point shooting prowess.

“It’s a good question,” Kerr said. “It’s funny because I came in that year (2014-15), and we played a little differently than a lot of teams and everybody said we were really innovative. 

“It didn’t feel innovative to me because it was things I already learned with Phil Jackson and Greg Popovich. If anything, some of the stuff we were doing, I went back 30, 20 years to bring back. Today, we are sort of doing the opposite. We’re following other trends around the league.”

As he implied, Kerr carries several lessons he learned as a player who won five NBA titles over 15 seasons alongside other basketball legends into his coaching efforts with the Warriors.

While Kerr wisely would tell his younger self to stay attached to Curry — as he already has — the coach also would suggest being as adaptable as possible.

“I think what I’ve learned is that the league is constantly changing,” Kerr said. “And as a coach, you have to constantly be aware of what’s happening. Best example of that is two years ago, you wouldn’t have ever been able to convince me that we should crash on offensive rebounds. Now I know differently. It took our younger coaches to bring that suggestion to me. It took watching film. It took experimenting.

“So even having that conversation, 10 years ago, I wouldn’t have entertained it. So what I’ve learned 10 years into my coaching career, having been a part of championship teams, great teams, I’m learning something I never knew before. I think that’s just the case forever. Life’s always changing. Things are always changing. The game is always changing. You have to be a lifelong learner and you have to embrace everything that’s happening.”

Kerr’s journey with Curry isn’t over yet.

But even before knowing how the story ends, Kerr would tell his younger self to stay with the game’s greatest shooter of all time for the long haul.

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What we learned as turnovers doom Warriors in collapse to Raptors in overtime originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

With a chance at having their first four-game win streak of the season, the Warriors on Sunday gifted the Toronto Raptors a 141-127 overtime win three days after Christmas.

Steph Curry’s latest breathtaking show again couldn’t end in a Warriors win. Curry scored 39 points, giving himself 10 games of 30-plus points this season. The Warriors now are 4-6 when he scores at least 30 points this season.

The rest of the Warriors’ Big Three also did their part. Jimmy Butler tallied 19 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Draymond Green gave them 21 points, four rebounds and seven assists. 

But the Raptors had three players who finished with more than 20 points, and seven in double figures, including their entire starting five.

A handful of issues undid the Warriors in a frustrating loss. The Warriors were outrebounded 55 to 42, and forward Scottie Barnes came down with 25 rebounds by himself. The Raptors scored 29 points off 18 offensive rebounds. 

More than anything, though, the Warriors were bitten by their constant penchant for turnovers. In the end, the Warriors lost the turnover battle 21-15, turning into 35 points for the Raptors. The Warriors now are 4-13 when they have more turnovers than their opponent, while being 12-3 when having fewer or equal turnovers.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ three-game losing streak coming to an end.

Year 17 In The 6

There were two road games Curry circled before last season: Charlotte and Toronto. Curry matched how many seasons in the NBA his father, Dell, played last year and the two cities hold sentimental value for different family reasons. Charlotte is home to Curry, where Dell spent 10 of his 16 seasons in the league. But his final three, which Steph remembers best, were north of the border with the Raptors. 

Now that Curry officially has passed his father’s time spent in the NBA, he gets to play two of his final three games of 2025 in those two special road arenas, starting with Sunday’s (loss or win) in Toronto. And Curry right away added to a never-ending highlight reel in the first quarter. 

Steph gets the board and an absurd and-1 🤯 pic.twitter.com/KKfVE3psTp

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 28, 2025

What a pass, Steph 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/0wL790pvtG

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 28, 2025

Another ridiculous Steph 3 😲 pic.twitter.com/kYC7SgozJ2

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 28, 2025

Curry’s shot-making ability and gravitational pull brought him to 15 points at halftime while going a perfect 5 of 5 at the free-throw line. The Warriors’ first points of the second half then came from a four-point play by Curry, putting them from down one to ahead by three.

STEPH FOUR-POINT PLAY 🤩 pic.twitter.com/e6CNsnnYs6

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 28, 2025

The second half was more reason for all of North America to always watch Curry. After 15 first-half points, Curry exploded for 24 points in the second half – 14 in the third and 10 in the second. He made all 11 of his free throws on the night for his second game of 10 or more free throw attempts this season.

Draymond Brings The Boom Back

Through the first month of the season, Green gave Golden State another threat behind the 3-point line. He was shooting 35.7 percent on threes over 16 games, a number the Warriors will gladly take. Green even made multiple threes in half the games he played (eight) over that month’s long stretch. 

But then his accuracy from deep began abandoning him. Green in his last month of nine games played came into Sunday having shot just 26.3 percent (10 of 38) beyond the arc, with teams begging him to let it fly. The Raptors used the same strategy, constantly sagging off him, and Green finally made them pay. He made two threes in the first half to bring him to 10 points, which gave Green just his third double-digit scoring game this month.

BOOOOOOOOOM pic.twitter.com/TH30cIfPJN

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 28, 2025

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM, part 2 pic.twitter.com/siM3NkoblN

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 28, 2025

Another two threes in the third quarter brought Green up to four threes, his most in a game since making five on Nov. 7.

THAT'S FOUR BIG BOOMS FROM DRAYMOND 🔥 pic.twitter.com/0GeIVpyN3o

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 28, 2025

Green’s aggressiveness offensively was a major plus for the Warriors. He reached 20 points for the first time this season. But Green also was one of seven Warriors with multiple turnovers.

Troubled By Turnovers

Same story, different day. Another clutch game for the Warriors full of inexcusable turnovers. 

The Warriors had a 12-point lead in the final minute of the third quarter when the Raptors then reeled off an 8-0 run behind two free throws and scoring off three straight Warriors turnovers. Right when the Warriors could have put the game away, they let the Raptors off the hook and paid severely for it. 

In their final home game of the calendar year, the Warriors had a lowly 11 turnovers for six points against the Dallas Mavericks. Those same fortunes didn’t happen against the Raptors. The Warriors were completely undone by being careless with the ball. 

Going into halftime, they were winning the turnover battle by one, six to seven, in which the Raptors had scored 10 points off turnovers. The second half was another story. The Warriors turned the ball over 13 times, six more than Toronto’s seven, and the Raptors took advantage by scoring 23 points off them. 

For the 17th time this season, the Warriors found themselves in a clutch game. They’re now 6-11 in such games. The Warriors turned the ball over five times in the clutch of the fourth quarter, and another two more in overtime. The Raptors in that time period didn’t have any turnovers while scoring 11 points off the Warriors’ seven turnovers.

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