With five games until the All-Star break, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told his players Monday morning that mental fatigue could no longer be an excuse.
He then took Golden State through an intensive practice focused on defensive concepts and fundamentals. The message was clear: To ensure the Warriors are at their best come the playoffs, they must first squash the bad habits beginning to resurface in early February.
It didn’t seem to resonate come tip-off, however. In Tuesday night’s 125-105 loss to Oklahoma City at Oracle Arena, Golden State reached a new nadir.
The Warriors committed 25 turnovers, one shy of their season-high, that resulted in 38 Thunder points.