© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
OAKLAND — Any Golden State result takes a backseat to health, with all four Warriors All-Stars sidelined due to injuries once again on Tuesday night.
But as Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said recently, winning is still a priority. He still expects his decimated roster to compete, regardless of the personnel.
The Warriors lost 92-81 to the visiting Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night. But this was an improvement from Golden State’s 110-91 loss to the Utah Jazz on Sunday, when the Warriors were outscored by 28 points in the second and third quarters.
“We are not expecting the same level of play, but we are basically doing the same things,” Kerr said before Tuesday night’s game. “It still comes down to being solid with the ball, playing with pace, being sharp defensively, boxing out. The fundamentals never change.”
The Warriors were more energetic, offensively fluid, and defensively committed on Tuesday night. They held Indiana to 40 percent shooting in the first half. These are the ways in which these Warriors — still without All-Stars Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green— will find results.
If there is a silver lining within Golden State’s slew of injuries, it’s the emergence of point guard Quinn Cook. The Duke product entered Tuesday night averaging 19.3 points on 50 percent three-point shooting in his past six contests.
He didn’t have his best performance on Tuesday night, producing 11 points on 5-17 shooting and seven assists. But his 17 attempts show he is becoming more comfortable as each game passes.
His growing confidence showed during one particular string of plays on Tuesday night. He checked into the game midway through the second quarter. Golden State promptly ran an out-of-bounds play designated for Cook to rub off a screen and attack. He held off Pacers guard Darren Collison, found a pocket of midrange space, and made a floater. The next possession, he dribbled through a pack of Pacers before elevating into a mid-range jumper. Swish.
Cook has bounced around three NBA teams endured stints in the G League before getting his chance in Curry’s absence. He has made it count. Cook’s coaches and teammates have continually praised his selflessness, leadership, and shooting ability, stating that his recent surge comes as no surprise.
“The biggest thing is (Cook) had a breakthrough once he got comfortable,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr pregame. “The first few games he played for us, he was pretty cautious, he just wanted to play his role and do his part. I think once Steph went out, (Cook) had a couple games, he was gun shy. Then he realized, like, ‘All right I can do this, and I can shoot 20 times, and nobody is going to be upset. In fact everybody is going to be happy because we need him to do that. I think there was a mental breakthrough more than anything.”
With Cook facilitating, sharpshooter Nick Young came out shooting confidently, to no surprise, scoring Golden State’s opening six points and 10 of its first 14. He finished with 12 points on 2-5 shooting from three-point range.
Forward Kevon Looney continued to prove his worth on the defensive end. Looney used his length to extend plays in the paint and alter shots on the defensive end. Andre Iguodala also produced his typical well-rounded game.
Ultimately, Golden State struggled to score, producing only 33 points in the second half.
With the Western Conference’s two-seed essentially locked up, the Warriors are focused on returning a full lineup as quickly as possible. Durant, Green, and Thompson are all expected to return within the next week. Curry’s return is more unknown, however. He said he expects to return by the end of the first round, contrary to Kerr’s initial prognosis.
The Warriors will next host the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night.