Stephen Curry and Draymond Green returned after injuries forced both to miss an embarrassing blowout against Toronto on Friday. The Warriors were a different team, but they still couldn’t close out the Hawks.
Curry, returning from a tailbone injury, had 37 points as the Warriors lost their third straight and seventh in the last eight games.
“He pretty much did whatever he wanted in that first half,” Hawks interim coach Nate McMillan said, adding “we had to stop fouling him. He’s excellent at drawing fouls on the pick-and-rolls. I thought we did a better job of making him work and staying in front of him and showing him a crowd.”
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Kevin Huerter stole the ball from Curry, and Trae Young fed Capella for a fast-break dunk that made it 67-all at the 6:09 mark of the third. Green followed with a straightaway 3, and the Warriors led until Lou Williams hit consecutive jumpers to give the Hawks an 88-87 lead early in the fourth.
There were 16 lead changes and 17 ties before Huerter’s 3 put Atlanta up 100-98. Snell followed with a 3 to make it 103-98, and the Hawks led the rest of the way. Williams hit a fadeaway jumper to make it 105-98, and Golden State didn’t get any closer than two for the remainder of the game.
“The young guys are getting more vocal, especially on the court,” Gallinari said. “That’s something that they definitely are doing better compared to the beginning of the season. That’s what we need them to do.”
Capela’s layup on a baseline feed from Bogdan Bogdanovic with 41 seconds remaining made it 112-106 and ended the Warriors’ last threat.
Golden State started 1 for 12 on 3s before Andrew Wiggins hit two consecutive shots beyond the arc to force a 40-all tie midway through the second. Curry displayed some dazzling ball-handling skills behind the back and scored layups on back-to-back possessions to force a 53-all tie in the final minute before halftime.
“We were competing all game long,” Golden State’s Kelly Oubre Jr. said after scoring 20 points. “We just fouled too much.”
TIP-INS
Warriors: Curry is wearing protective padding in his uniform to protect his tailbone. … Curry scored at least 30 in his third straight game and 20th overall. … Green, back after missing one game with a left finger injury, had 11 points and 11 assists in 36 minutes. … F Eric Paschall will miss the next two weeks after an MRI revealed a flexor strain in his left hip.
Hawks: McMillan said there was no update on F John Collins, who missed his third straight game with a left ankle sprain. … F De’Andre Hunter still has no immediate timetable to return from a left knee injury. … Young, Atlanta’s leading scorer this season, had 13 points after missing Friday’s win at New Orleans with a knee injury. … Williams finished with 15 points and sparked the second-team offense.
SPECIAL SNEAKERS
Curry wore Bruce Lee-themed shoes in support of the eight people, including six Asian Americans, who were killed in Atlanta-area massage parlors on March 16. Curry plans to auction the shoes off to raise money and awareness for the victims’ families. The yellow high-topped shoes bore an inscription — “under the sky, under the heavens, there is but one family” — credited to Lee.
“Steph never ceases to amaze me,” coach Steve Kerr said. “Just the way he wields his influence and he understands the power that he holds. Whether it’s to raise money or raise awareness or just a kind gesture — it’s usually all of the above. He’s just an incredibly thoughtful, self-aware athlete.”
UP NEXT
Warriors: Host Milwaukee on Tuesday.
Hawks: Host New Orleans on Tuesday.
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