The Golden State Warriors’ NBA-record start ended after 24 wins when the Milwaukee Bucks beat them 108-95 on Saturday night.
Advertisement
Golden State’s winning streak, the longest to start a season in National Basketball Association history, is the third-longest in a single season behind the Los Angeles Lakers, who won 33 in a row in 1971-72, while the Miami Heat won 27 straight in 2013. While the winning streak was certainly fun while it lasted, the pressure is finally off. Golden State hosts the Phoenix Suns (10-14) on Wednesday in Oakland.
Celtics 98 Hornets 93: Avery Bradley scored 23 points and Isaiah Thomas tallied 21 points and 13 assists as the Boston Celtics snapped the Charlotte Hornets’ four-game winning streak with a 98-93 victory. But he was 6 for 13 from 3-point range and a ideal 14 of 14 from the free throw line, sinking a pair of foul shots with 13.4 seconds left to give the Warriors a three-point lead – his only points of the second overtime.
Giddy Bucks fans at the packed Bradley Center erupted with cheers after the final buzzer. Green added 24 points and 11 rebounds. The Warriors were also missing Harrison Barnes, Klay Thompson was playing with a sprained ankle and they were on the second night of a back-to-back following a brutal double-overtime game in Boston the night before.
What made this loss so surprising was the simple fact Milwaukee was in control and led by double digits the majority of the game. It was just the fourth time this season that Golden State trailed at the half.
The Bucks have won 10 of 25 matches this year. No one was picking the Bucks to upset the Warriors.
Get additional coverage of the game later tonight at JSOnline and in tomorrow’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“It starts with our defence”, Kidd said. “Even if you’re 24-1, losing still sucks”. “I bet there will be a little relief mentally going forward from this point”.
Another poor shooting effort – Golden State hit 29 percent from long distance against the Celtics – seems unlikely, even with some exhausted legs.
Said Walton of the defending champions: “They should be thinking about how great this experience was and how much fun they had doing it as opposed to being sad that the undefeated streak is over”.
The first half was a slog for the Warriors in every way, and Milwaukee’s energized demeanor compounded Golden State’s issues.
Hawks point guard Jeff Teague hasn’t looked quite right since returning from a ankle injury less than a month ago and nothing was different Saturday.
Advertisement
Bucks: At the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.
