You ever watch a building collapse in slow motion? That was the Warriors’ first quarter against the Detroit Pistons on Friday night….a structural failure so catastrophic that even Steph Curry’s brilliance couldn’t rebuild the foundation before his knee gave out and ultimately the Dubs were unable to overcome.
The final score reads 131-124, but that number doesn’t capture the chaos. The Pistons hung 45 points on the Warriors in the opening frame; the most points Golden State has surrendered in a single quarter all season. Not the most you want to surrender to a Pistons team that is the #1 seed in the East.
Detroit shot 62% from the field in the first half and built a 77-64 halftime lead that felt insurmountable. Cade Cunningham carved up the Warriors’ defense like a true All-Star, finishing with 29 points and 11 assists. Jalen Duren went 7-of-14 from the field with 21 points and 13 rebounds, looking every bit like the big man menace the Pistons hoped he’d become.
The Warriors clawed back in the second half because that’s what championship DNA refuses to die quietly. Buddy Hield knocked down a three-pointer with six minutes left to cut Detroit’s lead to 117-114, and for a moment, you could feel the comeback materializing. Steph had already dropped 23 points before exiting in the third quarter with a knee issue, and the building blocks were there for one of those vintage Warriors rallies that make you believe.
Then Steph didn’t come back. Knee injury. No word yet on severity, but after watching Jimmy Butler’s season end with an ACL tear just days ago, Dub Nation is collectively holding its breath and praying to every deity that’ll listen. This team can’t afford another catastrophic injury. Not now. Not when the championship window is already showing cracks.
Draymond Green finished with 15 points and 7 assists in 33 minutes of the kind of gritty, veteran leadership that keeps this team afloat. De’Anthony Melton added 18 points off the bench on 7-of-13 shooting, one of the few bright spots in a game where Golden State shot just 44% from the field and 35% from three. Moses Moody? Quiet night with 11 points on 3-of-8 shooting. Brandin Podziemski contributed 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists but couldn’t provide the late-game juice the Warriors desperately needed. Al Horford chipped in 13 points, but this wasn’t a night where veteran steadiness could overcome the Pistons’ early offensive explosion.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: The Warriors gave up 62 points in the paint and allowed Detroit to control 90% of the game. The Pistons led by as many as 20 and never looked panicked, even when Golden State mounted its comeback.