The Golden State Warriors are stuck in a tough spot right now — and they know it. After a brutal stretch of losing, Stephen Curry and his teammates took the unusual step of holding a players-only meeting ahead of their Christmas Day matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers.
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The Warriors had dropped 11 of their last 14 games and needed something to shake up their approach. But despite their best efforts, they fell short again, losing 115-113 in dramatic fashion at Chase Center in San Francisco.
Curry, who dropped 38 points in the loss, spoke candidly after the game about the team's struggles.
"It is an inflection point on obviously which direction our season can go," Curry said. "Our last 14 games, it's just been tough trying to find any type of momentum or consistency."
The frustration was palpable, as Golden State—who started the season a strong 12-3—has been tumbling ever since.
The game against the Lakers offered a microcosm of the Warriors' current issues. Despite a late surge in the fourth quarter, where Curry exploded for 17 points, Golden State found themselves trailing 104-94 with just over three minutes left. The Warriors managed to claw their way back and tie the game, but with just 1.7 seconds left, Austin Reaves drilled a game-winning layup to deliver the knockout blow.
As Curry put it, "I still have hope and faith and confidence that we can figure it out." The team, desperate to regain their footing, continues to try and turn the ship around, but the results just haven't been there.
Draymond Green's struggles—he even had a flop in this game that backfired—only add to the sense of unease surrounding the team. But Curry's belief that the Warriors can get back on track remains. "You go out there and you talk about it, but how you execute, how you show up on a nightly basis, the effort we're giving... it's a team that's desperate, trying to figure it out."
Golden State now sits at 15-14 on the season, teetering on the edge of a deeper slump. The season is far from over, but the pressure is mounting. If they don't turn it around soon, the Warriors risk sinking further in the standings—and with it, their hopes of defending their championship aspirations. The next few weeks will be critical for this team. They can't afford to lose any more ground before the All-Star break.
