Warriors routed 123-85 in San Antonio as Castle's 32 pushes Spurs' streak to 11
Without Stephen Curry, the Warriors fell 123-85 to the Spurs in NBA Cup play as Stephon Castle scored a season-high 32 and San Antonio won its 11th straight.
The Golden State Warriors' first game without Stephen Curry went about as badly as it could have. Stephon Castle scored a season-high 32 points and the San Antonio Spurs ran away with a 123-85 NBA Cup group-play win Friday night at Frost Bank Center, their 11th victory in a row. The 38-point loss dropped Golden State to 8-5 and gave it two straight defeats.
The game was over almost as soon as it started. ESPN's box score had San Antonio up 38-14 after the first quarter, and Yardbarker reported an 18-0 Spurs run in that opening period. Golden State never led, and the margin grew to 43. Castle needed only 25 minutes to get his 32. He shot 12 of 18 from the field and 5 of 8 from 3-point range, and he added five rebounds and six assists. ClutchPoints noted that his previous high this season was 24 points. Keldon Johnson scored 18 off the bench, and Victor Wembanyama had 12 points and 12 rebounds in about 20 minutes.
Golden State was badly short-handed. Curry tore his right oblique early in Wednesday's loss at Houston, and Golden State of Mind reported he will be re-evaluated in two weeks. Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody are still out after knee surgeries, Kristaps Porzingis was not with the team, and Brandon Williams is sidelined with a hamstring strain. Two-way guard LJ Cryer led the Warriors with 20 points and six assists, and Charles Bassey added 11. Pounding The Rock reported that rookie Yaxel Lendeborg went 1 of 13 for three points. De'Anthony Melton shot 3 of 11 and finished with eight.
The Spurs also won the inside game by a wide margin. Yahoo Sports had San Antonio ahead 60-43 on the glass and 56-28 in the paint, with 34 assists, while Golden State shot 33.3 percent from the field. With Curry out, the Warriors had no one who could create his own shot and take pressure off the rest of the lineup.
What it means for New Orleans
The season numbers show the problem. The Warriors are 6-1 at home but 2-4 on the road, and this road trip has now produced lopsided losses in Houston (115-108) and San Antonio. Before that, they had won six straight, including five in a row at Chase Center. Their first five road games were a mixed set: wins at Denver and Minnesota, losses at Phoenix and against the Lakers.
The trip continues Monday at New Orleans. It is the most favorable matchup Golden State will get without Curry. The Warriors beat the Pelicans 138-87 at home just before leaving on this trip, their most lopsided result of the season. That game was played with Curry, though, and Friday showed how much the offense depends on him. Golden State has to find steady scoring from Cryer, Melton and Lendeborg, and it has to stop giving up so much on the glass. Another big rebounding deficit would make it hard to win even against a team it beat by 51.
The Spurs are now 11-2, and the win puts them ahead of Golden State in the West Group C race. The Warriors' coverage continues on our team page.