The Golden State Warriors fell 124-111 to the Atlanta Hawks Sunday night at Chase Center, snapping a three-game home winning streak.
Stephen Curry emphasized Atlanta’s performance, saying, “They played well the whole game… young athletic team, fresh look… gave up too many open threes. It’s crazy you can play 40 good minutes and lose it in the two four-minute stretches the way the NBA is. That’s what happened tonight.”
Curry reflected on Golden State’s shooting struggles, adding, “10 of 42 as a team from three… you’ve got to credit their defense. They have a lot of athleticism, length. They like to switch a lot… early in each half, the ball didn’t have as much energy as it usually does.”
He described the Hawks’ defensive challenges, saying, “We struggled to get paint touches tonight. The ball was kind of just swinging around the perimeter and they’re able to keep five bodies on bodies. That’s usually what good defenses do. Tonight we didn’t have that answer quick enough.”
Curry also addressed younger teammates, noting, “It’s part of the journey. You just have to diagnose or be honest with yourself… don’t lose your confidence. Quick decisions, shoot when you’re open. It’s about the process of how you’re playing, how you’re approaching the game.”
On creating advantages against a long, athletic team, Curry said, “There’s going to be one or two guys that you can go at to create an advantage… make them react, get the ball moving side to side. We did that well for short spurts.”
Curry spoke on role players’ consistency, saying, “It’s all about winning… there’s a lot of attention, a lot of noise… if you embrace it, winning is fun. The levels we’ve been at are none of that guaranteed. You have to take the good and the challenge of the environment.”
He also highlighted Al Horford’s recent contributions, stating, “He’s been a huge part of some big wins for us recently. The consistency him and Melt have been… just gives you a great presence out there on both ends of the floor.”
Despite Curry’s 31 points and Jimmy Butler’s 30, Golden State struggled with spacing and role-player production, hitting just 10-of-42 from three-point range, while Atlanta received scoring from multiple contributors.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the Hawks with 24 points, Jalen Johnson added 23 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists, and Luke Kennard scored a season-high 22 off the bench, propelling Atlanta to their third straight win.
The Warriors return home to face Portland, while Atlanta continues its four-game road trip against the Lakers Tuesday night.
