The Miami Heat have been struggling to start the season, but they took a step forward on Tuesday night when they defeated Stephen Curry and the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors 116-109.
The win dropped the Warriors to a 3-5 record, and Curry admitted that he and his mates are frustrated.
Steph Curry: "There is frustration b/c we have a standard…That’s good b/c we’ve had championship banners to show for it, but that uneasiness puts you in a position where you have to figure it out…I hope everybody is frustrated w/ the results, but the process is pretty solid."
— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) November 2, 2022
Last season, Golden State flew off to an 18-2 start — and that was before Klay Thompson returned from a torn Achilles.
This time around, the team is having trouble on the defensive end, which is strange given that defense has been the open secret to its dynastic ways over the last eight years.
Last week, it got blown out by the Phoenix Suns, 134-105, just days after it lost to the Denver Nuggets. Its most embarrassing loss so far this year came on Sunday when it fell to the Detroit Pistons, 128-114.
Against Miami, the Warriors committed 20 turnovers, which led to 28 points for Jimmy Butler and crew.
The Heat were able to notch this win even though Tyler Herro left the game in the second quarter after getting poked in the eye. Without him, Max Strus stepped up his game, providing them with 24 points on 8-of-17 shooting off the bench.
Herro has been having a strong season so far, as he was averaging 19.9 points a game coming into Tuesday’s contest.
The Heat will have an opportunity to creep above .500 in the coming days, as they will have a relatively easy schedule. They will face the Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers and Portland Trail Blazers once and the Charlotte Hornets twice before they take on the Suns on Nov. 14.
Meanwhile, the Warriors have lots of time to rediscover their mojo, and the season is only about two weeks old. The big question is whether their woes are only due to a typical championship hangover, or whether they’re indicative of a more serious problem.
It’s hard to believe that arguably the most talented team in the NBA would have a 3-5 record, but that is the situation Golden State is dealing with right now.
