Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors are finding out what it is like to be a team saddled with injuries after Patty Mills came off the bench to score 31 points to help the San Antonio Spurs beat them 127-110 on Friday night, hours after the Warriors learned that they will be without injured star Stephen Curry for at least three months.
A sellout crowd of 18,064 was announced at the Chase Center, yet there were a noticeable number of empty seats in the Warriors’ new arena. Curry’s injury has compounded things for a franchise that appears destined for a long season after appearing in the NBA Finals for five consecutive seasons.
“We went the bulk of five years being pretty healthy. We went the bulk of five years beating up on pretty much everyone,” Green said. “Right now, it’s our turn to get beat up on. It’s kind of what’s going on.”
Photo: AP
LaMarcus Aldridge added 22 points for the Spurs (4-1), who were coming off their first loss of the season a night earlier. D’Angelo Russell led Golden State (1-4) with 30 points.
The game was an indication of the uphill battle facing Golden State without Curry, who underwent surgery after breaking his left hand on Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns.
The Warriors, also without injured guard Klay Thompson for at least the first half of the season, hope they will not be missing another star.
Green had his left index finger wrapped after the game and said he was unsure if he would be able to play yesterday against the Charlotte Hornets.
Russell could not carry the Warriors alone, even with three teammates in double figures. Rookie Jordan Poole scored 20. Warriors fans began filing out of the arena midway through the fourth quarter. They are winless in three home games this season.
In Dallas, Texas, the Lakers beat the Mavericks 119-110.
LeBron James faced the crowd and sidestepped his way up the floor after a punctuating three-pointer in overtime made possible by Danny Green’s buzzer-beating three in regulation.
The Lakers star took an extra peek toward the national TV crew at center court, perhaps to gauge the entertainment value of the first matchup of the 15-time All-Star alongside Anthony Davis against the Dallas Mavericks’ young European pair of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.
The extra period was anticlimactic, but did not really take away from the second half that preceded it.
Davis started overtime with back-to-back dunks after Green’s corner three amid matching triple-doubles from James and Doncic, the Slovenian who grew up admiring the four-time MVP.
“You never know who you can inspire along your path,” James said. “For me, playing the game the right way, getting my teammates involved and playing for the purity of the game, I was able to inspire a kid that wasn’t even in America. That’s pretty special.”
In Sacramento, California, the Kings beat the Utah Jazz 102-101, with De’Aaron Fox getting back to attacking the rim.
Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic found their rhythm from the perimeter, and Luke Walton got his first victory with Sacramento.
With one all-inclusive performance, the Kings ended their worst start in nearly 30 years and shook off the label of being the NBA’s only remaining winless team.
In other games on Friday, it was:
‧ Celtics 104, Knicks 102
‧ Nets 123, Rockets 116
‧ Pacers 102, Cavaliers 95
‧ Magic 91, Bucks 123
‧ Bulls 112, Pistons 106
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