On December 31st, Beijing time, the NBA regular season saw the Warriors suffer a humiliating defeat at home to the Cavaliers. Stephen Curry had a tough night, shooting 4-of-14 from the field and 3-of-11 from three-point range, finishing with only 11 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists. He conceded defeat with a bitter smile 4 minutes and 39 seconds early. Dennis Schroder shot 4-of-11 for 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, with a negative plus/minus of -24. Draymond Green shot 1-of-10 for 2 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. The three key players combined for a dismal 9-of-35 shooting, including 5-of-17 from beyond the arc, scoring just 25 points, making them the culprits of the Warriors' crushing defeat.
In the first quarter of the home game against the league-leading Cavaliers, all eight of the Warriors' rotation players scored, but they only led the Cavaliers by one point, 27-26. During this period, Curry shot 1-of-4 and missed all three of his three-point attempts, scoring only 2 points and 2 assists.
In the second quarter, the Warriors struggled offensively, scoring only 3 points in nearly 7 minutes as the Cavaliers took the lead. The Warriors' offense remained lukewarm, and they trailed 38-46 at halftime. In the quarter, the team shot 4-of-24 overall and 0-of-8 from three-point range, scoring just 11 points. Curry went scoreless in two attempts and recorded no assists.
In the first half, the Warriors' shooting percentage was only 30%, with a three-point shooting rate of 16.7% (3-of-18), setting a new low for the season. Despite the Cavaliers committing 11 turnovers in the first half, the Warriors failed to capitalize on any of them. Curry finished the half with 6 shots, 1 made, and 0-of-4 from three-point range, still with only 2 points and 2 assists.
In the third quarter, the Cavaliers unleashed their offensive power while the Warriors remained out of sync. The Warriors were hit with a 30-13 scoring run by the Cavaliers, falling behind by 25 points instantly. Although the Warriors attempted to rally, they still trailed by 18 points at the end of the third quarter, with a score of 65-83. In this quarter, Curry shot 2-of-6 and 2-of-5 from three-point range, scoring 6 points. After missing an open three-pointer, he could only bitterly smile in frustration.
In the final quarter, the Warriors continued to resist but were consistently suppressed by the Cavaliers. Even with Curry and Green back on the court, it made no difference. With 4 minutes and 39 seconds remaining, the Warriors withdrew their main players, and Curry and the other starters returned to the bench, conceding defeat early.
Before the start of the season's 15 games, the Warriors had an impressive record of 12 wins and 3 losses, ranking first in the West. However, in the last 17 games, they have only managed 4 wins and 13 losses. After the crushing defeat to the Cavaliers, their record stands at 16 wins and 16 losses.