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Blue Jays reflect on cruel Game 7 loss to Dodgers: ‘I cost everybody a World Series’

George Springer’s Blue Jays had victory in their grasp in Game 7. Photograph: Patrick Smith/Getty Images

The Toronto Blue Jays have reflected on their agonizing loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series.

The Blue Jays looked set to win their first World Series since 1993 when they entered the ninth inning with a 4-3 lead. But with one out, and Toronto’s Jeff Hoffman facing the Dodgers’ No 9 hitter, Miguel Rojas, the reliever threw a hanging slider which Rojas launched for the tying home run. Will Smith then hit the winning home run in the 11th inning off Shane Bieber, the first time the Dodgers had led all night.

Related: LA Dodgers retain World Series after thrilling Game 7 win over Toronto Blue Jays

“It sucks,” Hoffman said after the 5-4 defeat. “Supposed to end differently. Was just one pitch. I cost everybody here a World Series ring. It feels pretty shitty.”

Bieber had his own regrets. “Hung a slider to a great guy who hits sliders well,” Bieber said. “He was looking for it. I didn’t execute. This one stings. It’s going to sting for a while. This game is not for the faint of heart.”

The Blue Jays had plenty of chances to win their first title in 32 years. They had led the best-of-seven series 3-2 before losing the final two games in their own stadium. They also had the bases loaded in the ninth inning on Saturday night but could not find the decisive hit. Ernie Clement, who set an MLB record with 30 hits this postseason, said he was in tears for an hour after the game. He added he did not blame any of his teammates, despite the team holding a 3-0 lead after the third inning.

“We gave it everything we had,” Clement said. “When you fall short but you can say you left it all out there, there’s something to be proud of there. I would go to war with Jeff Hoffman every day of the week. I want him on the mound. I want Bieber on the mound. Ninety-nine times out of 100 those guys get the job done. Obviously, it just wasn’t our night.”

However, future hall of famer Max Scherzer, Toronto’s starting pitcher for Game 7, reflected on how far the team had come after finishing last in the AL East in 2024.

“I’m 41 years old and I never thought I could love baseball this much,” Scherzer said as he wiped away tears. “My love for the game was so strong because of their love for the game. That loss is so tough because you’re so close to everybody. This team had that closeness, had that camaraderie. We had that passion not only for the game but for each other.”

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Dodgers Win World Series on the Back of Series MVP Yamamoto

TORONTO — The Los Angeles Dodgers rolled out Shohei Ohtani one more time to start Game 7 of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays—and it almost cost them the title.

When the situation seemed most dire at Rogers Centre on Saturday night, Los Angeles leaned on Ohtani’s compatriot Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who returned to the mound in extra innings with no rest after winning Game 6 and finished up the comeback victory. Will Smith’s 11th-inning homer was the deciding factor in the Dodgers’ 5-4 win over the Blue Jays.

But there’s no denying the impact Ohtani and Yamamoto had on the series. The two Japanese players, who signed contracts worth a total of $1.025 billion as free agents last year, have now led the Dodgers to back-to-back World Series titles for any Major League Baseball team since the Yankees won three straight from 1998 to 2000.

“It’s all about heart,” Mark Walter, the club’s owner, said about Yamamoto, in particular. “He doesn’t want to lose. I think that’s the story of the whole team. You know, he basically won three games for us. That’s unheard of.”

Yamamoto, who was named World Series MVP, finished the playoffs 5-1 with a 1.45 ERA. He threw 96 pitches over six innings to win his Game 6 start on Friday night, and he followed that up with 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief on 34 more pitches Saturday. He also pitched a complete game in Game 2, becoming the first pitcher since Randy Johnson in 2001 to earn three wins in a World Series.

“In today’s game, [Yamamoto] really showed that he’s the No. 1 pitcher in the world,” Ohtani said.

Ohtani’s own performance in Game 7 lasted 51 pitches and ended when Bo Bichette hit a three-run homer in the third inning. It was too much to ask Ohtani to start on three days of rest with the Dodgers short starting pitching. Ohtani was shaky right from the start, allowing base runners in every one of his three innings.

“I was just so honored to be able to start this game, and unfortunately I didn’t do too well, so I regret that,” Ohtani said.

Ohtani started Game 4 at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, allowing four runs on six hits as he worked into the seventh inning of the 6-2 loss. That game came a day after Ohtani set a record by reaching base nine consecutive times on two homers, two doubles and five walks, four of them intentional.

It begged the question whether Ohtani had the stamina to pitch a day after he was on base so many times in a Game 3 the Dodgers won in 18 innings on a walk-off Freddie Freeman home run. Roberts noted after the Game 4 loss that Ohtani appeared mortal.

The same question came up when he was handed the Game 7 start.

“Shohei has the weight of the world on him,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s the face of baseball. He’s going to be the MVP of the National League. It’s really special what he’s done. He’s just a great person and a great competitor.”

Yamamoto was a different story. After Friday night’s 3-1 win, Roberts said all pitching hands would be on deck for the finale, sans Yamamoto. But the right-hander arrived at the ballpark on Saturday and told the manager he was available.

“I know I would be pitching two days in a row, but all my teammates were playing a number of games in a row,” Yamamoto said. “I told him I’d be there if he needed me to close this series.”

And that’s what happened.

“What Yoshi did tonight is unprecedented,” Roberts said. “There’s a mental component to it. There’s a flawless delivery. And there’s an unwavering will.”

After Ohtani faltered, the game was the Blue Jays’ to lose, but the Dodgers kept pecking away. Down 4-2 in the seventh, Max Muncy homered, and in the top of the ninth, the unlikely Miguel Rojas, who wasn’t in the lineup until Game 6, tied it with a homer on one out against Jays closer Jeff Hoffman. That sent the game spinning into the bottom of the ninth locked at 4-4.

Blake Snell opened the ninth for the Dodgers, but with an out and runners on first and second, the bullpen door swung open, and Yamamoto entered the game. He immediately hit Alejandro Kirk with a pitch, loading the bases.

The situation for the Dodgers appeared dire, and the Blue Jays seemed on the verge of winning their first World Series title in 32 years. But Daulton Varsho tapped a ball to Rojas at second who converted a force at the plate. And centerfielder Andy Pages, a defensive replacement who had just entered the game for Tommy Edman, roamed wildly into left center to grab a fly ball hit by Ernie Clement.

That threat was over, but extra innings brought plenty more. The deciding factor came in the top of the 11th, as Smith homered with two outs off Game 4 starter Shane Bieber to give the Dodgers the lead.

In the bottom of the inning, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led with a scorch of a double into the left field corner and was moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt. Addison Barger walked, and Roberts moved the infield in for a possible play at the plate and Kirk at bat. On an 0-2 pitch, Roberts moved the infield back to double play depth. With that, Kirk smacked a grounder to shortstop Mookie Betts who stepped on second base, throwing to Freeman at first for the final two outs.

And that’s the way one of the greatest World Series in recent history ended.

“There was so many pressure points on how that game could have flipped, and we just kept fighting,” Roberts said. “I could go on and on about the great plays and performances. I’m still trying to unpack it all. This is one of the greatest games I’ve ever been a part of.”

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Referee explains why Russell Westbrook wasn't called for flagrant on Giannis

Referee explains why Russell Westbrook wasn't called for flagrant on Giannis originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Following the Kings’ 135-133 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night at Fiserv Forum, Crew Chief Mitchell Ervin clarified why Russell Westbrook wasn’t hit with a flagrant foul after wrapping up Giannis Antetokounmpo on a hard play near the rim.

In a Pool Report interview with Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Ervin said the officials reviewed the sequence under the “player altercation” trigger and determined the contact didn’t rise to a flagrant level.

“During that review, there was no windup, impact or follow through by Westbrook and the contact by Westbrook was at shoulder level,” Ervin said. “Therefore, a common foul was ruled on the play.”

Ervin added that because the incident was reviewed as a “player altercation,” the crew was able to examine every part of the scrum for possible unsportsmanlike conduct.

“Player altercation — I could have said a double trigger,” Ervin explained. “I could have said player altercation and flagrant foul review. During a player altercation review, we really have an opportunity to review the play and any acts within the scrum at the end — we could review everything and any possible unsportsmanlike act after the foul.”

A few possessions later, tensions flared again when DeMar DeRozan fouled Milwaukee’s Gary Trent Jr. What looked like a standard shooting foul quickly escalated when Trent was hit with a technical for his reaction.

“The technical foul on Trent Jr. was assessed for unsportsmanlike flail after the personal foul assessed to DeMar DeRozan,” Ervin noted.

The third quarter wasn’t the only stretch that saw tempers flare. Earlier in the game, Milwaukee’s Bobby Portis was assessed a technical foul after shoving Domantas Sabonis in the back, leading to a brief scuffle between the teams.

Later, Bucks guard Cole Anthony was ejected with less than 11 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

From the opening quarter to the final minutes, the officiating crew was tested on multiple fronts. In a later sequence before Bucks guard AJ Green’s last free throw — when Westbrook appeared to grab Antetokounmpo — Ervin said officials “did not observe that part of the play” and determined no foul or violation occurred.

In a game defined by its physical tone and frequent reviews, Ervin’s comments helped clarify the officials’ decisions on several key moments. It wasn’t pretty, but after a hard-fought 48 minutes, Sacramento ended a decade-long win drought in Milwaukee and secured its second win of the season. The Kings now prepare to face the 3-2 Denver Nuggets on Monday.

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India make light work of depleted Australia bowling attack to level T20 series

India have levelled the Twenty20 series against Australia, sharing the blows with the bat for a five-wicket win with nine balls to spare in Hobart.

The hosts posted 186-6 on Sunday night on the back of an explosive 74 from 38 balls from Tim David batting at No 4 and a Marcus Stoinis half-century.

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Fantasy Basketball Week 3 Schedule Primer: Hawks continue without Trae Young

The calendar flipping from October to November also means the end of Daylight Saving Time on Sunday. Monday begins Week 3 of the fantasy basketball season, and there have been many notable injuries for managers to be mindful of. Atlanta's lost Trae Young for at least four weeks, while the Lakers welcomed back Luka Dončić on Friday. Add in Ja Morant's one-game suspension that will be served on the final day of Week 2, and there will be a lot for managers to sift through.

The Week 3 schedule has a one-game day (Thursday), but the other six days will have between six and 11 games on the slate. Let's look at the Week 3 schedule and a few key storylines.

→ Watch the NBA on Peacock on Monday night, as the Minnesota Timberwolves take on the Nets in Brooklyn. The action gets underway at 7 p.m. ET!

Week 3 Games Played

4 Games: BOS, BRK, DAL, DEN, DET, GSW, HOU, IND, LAC, MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, OKC, PHI, SAC, WAS

3 Games: ATL, CHI, CLE, LAL, NOR, NYK, ORL, PHO, POR, SAS, TOR, UTA

2 Games: CHA

Week 3 Back-to-backs

Sunday (Week 2)-Monday: BRK, LAL, MEM, MIA, NYK, UTA

Monday-Tuesday: LAC, MIL

Tuesday-Wednesday: GSW, NOR, OKC, PHI

Wednesday-Thursday: None

Thursday-Friday: None

Friday-Saturday: ATL, CHI, CLE, DAL, DEN, MIA, SAS, TOR, WAS

Saturday-Sunday: IND, PHI

Sunday-Monday (Week 4): DET, MIL, MIN

Toronto Raptors v Atlanta Hawks
Fantasy Basketball Stock Up Stock Down: Should we be concerned about Dyson Daniels?
Grizzlies rookie Cedric Coward has quickly caught the attention of fantasy managers while the slow start from Hawks’ Dyson Daniels is raising some concerns.

Week 3 Storylines of Note

- Atlanta's Trae Young will reportedly miss at least four weeks.

The Hawks are one of 12 teams that will play three games during Week 3, and they'll do so without their most important player. Young suffered a sprained right MCL during Atlanta's October 29 win over the Nets. While the Hawks have not provided a definitive update on their point guard, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Saturday that Young will be re-evaluated in four weeks. Depending on the grade, an MCL sprain can cost a player a few weeks beyond Young's reported evaluation timeline.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker has started Atlanta's last two games and should remain in that role. Even though the Hawks won't play their second and third games of Week 3 until Friday and Saturday, NAW is a player that fantasy managers need to hold onto. On the other hand, someone like Luke Kennard may be expendable for the 11-game Wednesday slate. Young's absence impacts the entire rotation, with Dyson Daniels and Jalen Johnson in a position where they'll have more opportunities to facilitate. In Daniels' case, this may help him bounce back from a slow start to the season.

- Kawhi Leonard is not restricted in any way and plans to play both games of the Clippers' Week 3 back-to-back.

In the immediate aftermath of Friday's win over the Pelicans, which Leonard won with a jumper as time expired, he revealed that he is not restricted in any way. That means he'll be available for the Clippers' Monday/Tuesday back-to-back to begin Week 3, as they'll host the Heat and Thunder.

One Clipper who may not be available for both games is Bradley Beal, who recently returned from a back injury and is also working his way back from offseason knee surgery. A four-game week for the Clippers will likely be a three-game week for Beal. With Tuesday's game against the Thunder being nationally televised (11 PM Eastern on NBC and Peacock), Monday's matchup with the Heat may be the one that he misses.

Beal hasn't been impactful in fantasy basketball thus far, but fantasy managers aren't going to seek out Bogdan Bogdanović or Nicolas Batum if they receive a spot start. Derrick Jones Jr., already in the starting lineup, is ranked just outside the top-100 and rostered in just three percent of Yahoo leagues. He's worth a look regardless of Beal's availability.

- Philadelphia has two back-to-backs during Week 3, which is bad news for Joel Embiid managers.

Embiid has already been ruled out for the 76ers' final game of Week 2 on Sunday against the Nets. Hopefully, he'll be good for Tuesday's game against the Bulls in Chicago. However, the 76ers' four-game Week 3 consists of two back-to-backs: Tuesday/Wednesday and Saturday/Sunday. In all likelihood, Embiid managers are looking at a two-game week for "The Process." Andre Drummond has been more productive than Adem Bona thus far, but neither has done enough to make themselves a must-stream option when Embiid sits.

Kelly Oubre Jr. and Quentin Grimes are rostered in less than 40 percent of Yahoo! leagues, so the Week 3 schedule and availability questions surrounding Embiid make them worth a look. Another question for the 76ers heading into Week 3: Will Paul George (knee) be cleared to return? NBA insider Jake Fischer reported recently that George could be targeting early November for a return to action. Of course, the back-to-backs will be a factor, but getting George on the floor would be great for those who have him rostered.

NBA: Charlotte Hornets at Miami Heat
Fantasy Basketball Minutes Report: Kon Knueppel seeing minutes increase with injuries
Each week we’ll dig into shifting rotations, uncovering which players deserve more attention in fantasy basketball.

- Charlotte is the team to avoid when seeking fringe fantasy options.

The Hornets are the only team that plays two games during Week 3, with their last being against the Heat on Friday. With Brandon Miller (shoulder) sidelined, Kon Knueppel and Collin Sexton have seen their opportunities increase, with Sexton being the more productive offensive player. However, the most interesting Hornet going into Week 3 may be rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner.

Shooting 82.9 percent from the field, the second-round pick provides sixth-round value in nine-cat formats while being rostered in less than 30 percent of Yahoo! leagues. With a two-game schedule, is Kalkbrenner a "hold," or should managers move on and gamble that he'll be on the waiver wire at the end of the week?

- Cleveland and Dallas are among the teams that will play three games between Wednesday and Sunday.

With Thursday being the only "light" day on the Week 3 schedule, there's a lack of clear-cut streaming nights. However, some teams will play three games between Wednesday and Sunday. The Cavaliers, Mavericks, Nuggets, Heat, Spurs, and Wizards will play three games over the course of four days starting on Wednesday. And there are teams that will play three games in five days, including the Celtics, Warriors, Rockets, and Pacers.

In the case of the shorthanded Pacers, they end Week 3 with a Saturday/Sunday back-to-back. Obviously, Pascal Siakam won't be available in any fantasy league. However, Quenton Jackson and Aaron Nesmith had career nights in Indiana's November 1 win over the Warriors, with the latter snapping out of a severe shooting slump to begin the season. There will be a lot of options on league waiver wires towards the end of Week 3, so save a few transactions if your league has a limit.

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Shaikin: Why Magic Johnson believes Dodgers' World Series success is good for baseball

Toronto, Ontario, Saturday, November 1, 2025 - The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after winning Game seven of the 121st World Series between the LA Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Lakers legend Magic Johnson, middle left, celebrates with players and coaches after the team's World Series triumph over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Beneath his feet, confetti decorated the turf. Behind him, the video boards congratulated his team on its latest championship.

The Dodgers owner who lives and breathes championships smiled broadly. Magic Johnson always does, of course. This time, he had an impish twinkle in his eye.

“They said we ruined baseball,” Johnson said. “Well, I guess we didn’t.”

If you are not in Los Angeles, you might be screaming in frustration. The team with all the gold makes the rules, and the new rule is that the Dodgers win every year, and now their most famous owner is mocking you?

He is not.

Read more:In a World Series finale for the ages, Dodgers cement their dynasty in win over Blue Jays

He is, however, issuing a subtle warning to all of baseball’s owners: Don’t let your desperation for a salary cap destroy a sport on the rise — in no small part thanks to the Dodgers.

The NBA was not much more than a minor league 45 years ago. This is crazy to imagine now, but the NBA Finals aired on tape delay, on late-night television, most often at 11:30 p.m. The NBA audience was so small that advertisers would not pay prime-time rates for those commercials, so the games were not broadcast in prime time.

Johnson helped change that. The rivalry between his Lakers and Larry Bird’s Celtics revived the NBA, and then Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls became global sporting icons.

From 1980-88, either the Lakers or the Celtics won the NBA title in every year but one. From 1991-98, the Bulls won six titles.

The Celtics and Lakers and Bulls did not ruin the NBA.

“What the Celtics and Lakers were able to do, and Michael Jordan’s Bulls, was to bring in new fans — fans that were, 'Oh, I don’t know about the NBA,'" Johnson said, “but the play was so good, and the Celtics and Lakers and Bulls were so dominant, people said, 'Oh man, I want to watch them.'

“It’s the same thing happening here.”

The NBA leadership could not believe its good fortune. Baseball’s leadership appears intent on lighting its good fortune on fire.

“My phone was blowing up with people who hadn’t watched baseball for a long time,” Johnson said. “They were watching this series.

“This was good for baseball around the world.”

Read more:Party time: Dodgers' championship parade and rally on Monday

The World Baseball Classic is four months away. The World Series most valuable player, the Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto, is from Japan.

So is the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, the closest baseball has ever had to its own Jordan. The Dodgers rescued him from purgatory in Anaheim and surrounded him with a star-studded roster, and now he makes more money from pitching products than pitching baseballs. To the Dodgers, he doubles as an All-Star and cash machine.

The league — and all the owners complaining about the Dodgers and their spending — happily profited from this traveling road show. The Dodgers get the same share of international merchandise and broadcast revenue every other team does.

The Dodgers led the major leagues in road attendance, again. The league sent the Dodgers to Seoul last spring and Tokyo this spring, meaning that, for two years running, they were one of the first two teams to report to spring training and one of the last two playing at season’s end. The league’s television partners rushed to book the Dodgers, even for games at times inconvenient to the team.

“MLB put us in every hard situation you can think about,” infielder Miguel Rojas said. “We never complained. We were trying to come through for the fans, for baseball, and everybody should be recognizing what we are doing.”

With the Blue Jays in the World Series, Canadian ratings for the World Series increased tenfold. The Dodgers did not destroy the Jays. They survived them, and barely at that.

Read more:'I'm just really elated.' How Dave Roberts helped the Dodgers dig deep to win World Series

The Dodgers have not ruined competition, despite the spotlight.

“They have a great team,” Toronto infielder Ernie Clement said. “There's no denying it. They're one of the best teams probably ever put together, and we've taken 'em to seven games, so that's got to say something about us.”

Toronto manager John Schneider said his team, which won more games than the Dodgers this season, had chances to sweep the World Series.

“People were calling it David versus Goliath,” Schneider said, shaking his head from side to side. “It's not even... close.”

The Dodgers make a lot of money, pour the money back into the team, and win. They give the people what they want.

“People want the best,” co-owner Todd Boehly said.

Granted, not every team can spend like the Dodgers. Most cannot, and baseball should be able to find ways to share the wealth without risking its tenuous but growing popularity by locking out players in pursuit of a salary cap.

After all, isn’t a compelling product with stars from home and abroad good for baseball?

Read more:Plaschke: Back to back! Dodgers nab dynasty-defining victory over Blue Jays in World Series Game 7

“You bet,” controlling owner Mark Walter said. “I think they think so, too.”

It was time to go. The parade was 36 hours away, and Johnson had to rest his throat.

“I’m hoarse,” he said. “I’ve never been hoarse.”

So we’ll leave you with one bit of sports trivia, in response to the mistaken notion that a salary cap assures competitive balance: In the Magic, Bird and Jordan years, the ones that lifted the NBA into popular culture, did the NBA have a salary cap?

It did then. It does now. On to the quest for a three-peat.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Warriors can't wait to regain momentum after two tough losses to Bucks, Pacers

Warriors can't wait to regain momentum after two tough losses to Bucks, Pacers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

All momentum the Warriors built winning four of their first five games in an eight-day span was popped and deflated with two losses in three days against two undermanned teams. 

These are the types of losses the Warriors have been trying to avoid. The kind that aren’t supposed to happen with Jimmy Butler on their side. The Warriors have been laser focused on starting strong to avoid sprinting through the end of the regular season. That team didn’t show up in Milwaukee or Indiana as the Warriors have now suffered their first losing streak of the young 2025-26 season. 

First after finding out an hour before tipoff that the Milwaukee Bucks weren’t going to have Giannis Antetokounmpo, former Warriors second-round draft pick Ryan Rollins had the best game of his career with 32 points on 13-of-21 shooting and 5 of 7 on threes, eight assists and only one turnover to beat his first team. Steve Kerr joked the Warriors “are like 0-12 the last couple years when opponents sit their stars,” after the loss. 

He didn’t have any comedic quips Saturday night after losing to the previously winless Indiana Pacers. 

The Pacers weren’t sitting any stars. Tyrese Haliburton, their biggest star, is already out for the season after tearing his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. But four other key Pacers were out to injuries, leaving Pascal Siakam, Aaron Nesmith and a point guard on a two-way contract who would be in G League training camp right now if Indiana was healthier to hand the Warriors a loss that had frustrations voiced in postgame press conferences. 

Rollins’ career high was the opening course of putting a sour taste on the start of the Warriors’ mini road trip. The plate grew for the Pacers. Nesmith scored a career-high 31 points after averaging 11 going into Saturday’s game. The 25 points Quenton Jackson scored, an undrafted 27-year-old, were two fewer than he had totaled between his three previous games this season, and set a new career high. Plus, Jackson handed out a career-high 10 assists and didn’t record one turnover. 

He and Rollins both had these kinds of dream-like performances while also guarding Steph Curry. 

Kerr after the Warriors’ loss in Milwaukee used fatigue, mental and physical, as a reason for a bad night. His players didn’t agree. And the coach didn’t use anything that could be mistaken for an excuse after losing to what was an 0-5 Pacers team. 

“We know the West is loaded, and it feels like we just gave away two games that if we are locked in and focused, playing the way we know we can play, then we should have won them,” Kerr said. “We got to pick those games up along the way, but at the end of the season, I mean, the last three years it’s the same thing. I mean, one or two games. 

“We have to find a way to be sharper and to be better.” 

Whatever’s on his mind, Kerr gets his point across. His words are deliberate and can feel purposeful getting messages across to his team. This loss felt like one of those moments.

“There’s going to be some tough nights. There are always tough nights during the season,” Kerr said. “This should not have been one of them. We had the day off yesterday. We didn’t do shootaround this morning. We had plenty of rest, but the execution down the stretch was awful. And it’s a shame because our young guys played their ass off.” 

Calling the Warriors’ next game, which will be their eighth of the season, a must-win is prematurely pushing the panic button. Or is it? The tone is too heavy, sure. The intention must be as close to a gentler must-win as it can get, though. 

The Warriors led by 11 points Saturday night, 104-93, after Curry made a three with just over six minutes left. As if a wave had crashed the Warriors’ sandcastle, everything came crumbling down over the final six minutes. The Pacers outscored them 21-5 until the final buzzer for their first win. In the clutch, the Warriors didn’t execute offensively or defensively, they fouled, they turned the ball over and the Pacers outplayed them in every category. 

That three was the last shot Curry made. He missed six shots, five threes and a floater, had one turnover and even missed a free throw the rest of the game. The Warriors went from being down 73-67 when he was taken out at the 5:45 mark in the third quarter to having a nine-point lead when he came back at 6:26 of the fourth behind players like Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos and Moses Moody. 

Curry was a minus-21 against the Pacers and had five turnovers for his second consecutive game. 

“It’s the frustration of not being able to capture that momentum that we had and sustain the start that we had,” Curry said. “I know we can get it back. Long way to go. You start 4-2 and everybody has been talking about how hard the schedule has been and this and that, but these are two games that you really should have and wanted to have to show for our start. 

“Hopefully it lights a fire in all of us to get back on the horse and figure out how we can win throughout a very difficult stretch coming up and show that we’re a very capable team.”

Again, going full must-win feels like a stretch. The Warriors themselves are teetering on the edges there. 

The Phoenix Suns are another team they’re supposed to beat Tuesday at Chase Center. They’ll be favorites to beat the Sacramento Kings the next day too, even on the second night of a back-to-back. These are chances for bad habits to be corrected and momentum to be created again in time for a date in Denver against the Nuggets on Friday.

The Warriors can get revenge at home against the Pacers in a week on Sunday, and then it’s time for a six-game road trip that begins with games against the two best teams in the West right now: The undefeated reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder (6-0), and two against the undefeated San Antonio Spurs (5-0). 

Last season’s spiral after early success hasn’t been forgotten. The Warriors want to create the identity of a champion now and build as the season evolves. There is no time to wait in getting back on track, and they know it.

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