What we learned as turnovers doom Warriors in loss to short-handed Bucks

BOX SCOREGame plans for the Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks were thrown into the trash an hour before tipoff Thursday night when it was announced Giannis Antetokounmpo was ruled out with left knee soreness. Antetokounmpo had dominated his first four games, scoring 27, 38, 33 and 33 points for an average of 36.3 points while also averaging 14 rebounds and seven assists. The Warriors had to immediately adjust everything they had watched on film and were slow to do so, losing 120-110 at Fiserv Forum.Former Warriors second-round draft pick Ryan Rollins got his revenge on his old team and scored a game-high 32 points for a new career high.Steph Curry scored a team-high 27 points with six rebounds and four assists, but also five turnovers. Curry grabbed his right knee after a 3-point attempt in the first quarter and never quite looked right. Jonathan Kuminga provided 24 points and eight rebounds, and Jimmy Butler had his first double-double of the season with 23 points and 11 rebounds. The Warriors struggled to find their shot from 3-point range, were too careless with the ball and for the first time this season were outscored in the third quarter. They dropped to 0-2 on the road this season, and Thursday began a stretch where 10 of their next 12 games are away from Chase Center.Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ loss to the Bucks.Same Problems Continue For how strong the Warriors’ start to the season in their first five games were, two consistent issues stood out that continued in Milwaukee: First-half defense and turnovers. The Warriors’ ability to flip the switch and own the third quarter has masked their slow starts defensively in the first half. Even without Antetokounmpo, the Warriors for the fourth time in six games gave up at least 60 points going into halftime. They can’t rely on picking up the pieces every third quarter, as seen against the Bucks. Even more worrisome for the Warriors is their continued propensity for turning the ball over. Through the first five games, the Warriors averaged 16 turnovers, which was tied for the seventh-highest in the NBA. They were even worse in a loss where the Warriors fell into the Bucks’ trap. After racking up 11 turnovers for 16 Bucks points in the first half, they ended their loss with 22 turnovers that became 27 points for the other side. Curry and Kuminga led the Warriors in scoring, but each had five turnovers. Six Warriors tallied multiple turnovers, a number that almost always will end in a loss for them.Bench Battle Lost Whether it’s Steve Kerr or a plethora of players, the Warriors again love their depth. But their bench went ice cold and was outplayed by the Bucks. The Warriors’ bench was outscored 24-14 in the first half and every player who received extended minutes had a negative plus/minus. They continued to be outplayed in the second half too as Cole Anthony, Bobby Portis and Taurean Prince enjoyed big nights. The Warriors were lucky to see Anthony foul out with seven-plus minutes remaining in the game when he already was up to 16 points. All the Bucks’ bench points came from Anthony (16), Portis (12) and Prince (10), yet they still outscored the Warriors’ bench 38-29. Brandin Podziemski in his Milwaukee homecoming again came off the bench for the second straight game. Podziemski’s nine points led the Warriors’ bench, as did his five rebounds, three assists and three steals.As a team, the Warriors only 34.2 percent behind the 3-point line. The bench didn’t help there, going 5 of 18 (27.8 percent). Buddy Hield (eight points) and Al Horford (three points) will need to be more of a scoring threat from the outside going forward.Old Friend AlertRollins only played in 12 games for the Warriors after they traded up to take him No. 44 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, but the young point guard has found a home in Milwaukee. He had played in three prior games against his original team for a total of nine points in 23 minutes coming into Thursday night. Rollins then scored the Bucks’ first five points and reached that total of nine in the first six minutes against the Warriors. By halftime, Rollins already was up to 14 points, which were three more than Curry had.The Toledo product came into the NBA known for his defense first and now has turned into a productive player on both sides. He has started the last four games for the Bucks and has scored 13, 14, 25 and now 32 points. Rollins on the morning of the 2023 draft was traded to the Washington Wizards with Jordan Poole and Patrick Baldwin Jr. for one failed season of Chris Paul. Rollins was then waived by the Wizards in early January of 2024, and the Bucks signed him to a two-way deal in late February. It took until March of this year for him to be converted into a standard contract, and the Warriors on Thursday were reminded of the potential they once saw in Rollins.Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

What we learned as turnovers doom Warriors in loss to short-handed Bucks

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