Pat Spencer reflected on Golden State’s 124-112 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday at Chase Center, highlighting the team’s third-quarter adjustments and fast-paced offense. Spencer emphasized pushing the pace against a defensively elite team.
“We picked up our pace,” Spencer said. “Against a team like that, if you let them get set in the half-court, they’ve got five guys who can defend at all times. It was about getting organized offensively but ultimately pushing the pace.”
Spencer stressed the importance of spacing and transition opportunities in creating scoring chances. “In transition, you want to get wide. If you push that pace and have spacing, their defense gets a little lost. You can’t rely on half-court offense night in and night out to beat them.”
On his own development, Spencer noted his growth as a playmaker and shooter compared to last season. “Night and day. Last year, I was more of an energy guy. This year, I can operate in the ball screens, create plays for others, and have more comfort out there,” he said.
Spencer also commented on Seth Curry’s impact in his Warriors debut. “It’s in his blood. He’s always been a shooter, and we have full confidence that’s going in. There’s no better feeling than getting out there after sitting out.”
Regarding lineup adjustments without Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, Spencer emphasized limiting turnovers and generating easy offensive looks. “We won’t have the luxury of playing through Jimmy in the half-court. We have to be an elite pace team, get stops, grab rebounds, and generate easy looks.”
Spencer described the guard-heavy lineups as an evolution of the game. “Pace is up across the league. You have to capitalize in both the half-court and in transition. With stretch bigs and banged-up players, we adjust and figure it out.”
When asked about season management and two-way limitations, Spencer focused on controlling what he can. “I can only control day-to-day. I’ve shown I can impact winning at this level, and I’ll let them handle the rest.”
Despite the loss, Spencer praised the Warriors’ second-half effort. “We finally got some stops together, got rebounds, and created some easy looks. That’s what it takes to compete with elite teams like OKC.”
