In a hallway late Saturday, Walton understood Milwaukee had outworked his team and reenergized its objective of winning the season and not the games.
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They’re not used to losing. Interim coach Luke Walton said, “We didn’t have it tonight”.
“The schedule and the road trip kind of caught up with us”. They beat the Warriors last night to end their winning streak. The Warriors’ streak being framed as 28 games instead of 24 has some significance to James’ legacy, as his went on a 27-game tear in the 2012-13 season, which was the second-longest win streak in league history behind the 1971-72 Lakers’ 33-game mark.
But before long, the Heat know the Warriors – whose winning streak ended in Milwaukee on Saturday night – will feel some relief. They’ve been a hit overseas, where viewership for Sunday games increased 32 percent last season over 2013-14, when the games weren’t being shown at a consistent time. This was no squeaker at the buzzer, but a Bucks runaway at the end.
Meanwhile for the Bucks, big man Greg Monroe shone with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. “And so, for us, we didn’t talk about the streak, it was about playing the world champs”. The last week or so, with the road trip and things, we just found ways to win games.
October 31, 2015: Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) is guarded by New Orleans Pelicans guard Toney Douglas (16) during the game between Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA.
The loss to the Bucks was one night removed from a tiring and thrilling double-overtime gauntlet at the Boston Celtics, the Warriors felt their first sting of regular-season defeat since April.
Of the streak ending, Curry said: “We’re a little upset that it came to an end”.
The Milwaukee Bucks have struggled to find traction early in a season in which they’re hoping to return to the playoffs.
“But our goal was always to get better each and every time we get on the floor, whether that’s practice or whether that is in the game”. “But for 48 minutes, I don’t think anybody can say we played as hard as they did”.
Bucks fans at the Harris Bradley Center, which was packed by 18,700 spectators, erupted with cheers after the final buzzer.
JJ Redick and Blake Griffin (nine rebounds) scored 21 points apiece to pace the Clippers, whose only other road win against the Nets came in East Rutherford, NJ, on December 11, 2007.
Health should be on their side again soon, too, as shooting guard Klay Thompson returned from his one-game absence on Saturday (ankle sprain) and small forward Harrison Barnes (high ankle sprain) is expected to return soon after missing the past eight games. The Warriors fell five wins shy of matching that record. They trailed by 59-48 at halftime, the fourth time this season they’ve trailed at the half.
Despite all that, the fact that the Warriors weren’t even expected to get off to a hot start this season is already an accomplishment by itself.
“I just said [to the players] “keep your head up, it’s a loss, it sucks but it’s really special what you guys did to start this season”.
Of course, Warriors (24-1) did pull that one out on Friday.
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The team’s coach explained their side on the Warriors’ first defeat. Take a look at the teams with win streaks above 12 which were ended by the Bucks.
