For a while there, it didn’t look like the Warriors were ever going to lose. It ultimately took a grueling pair of back-to-back games combined with some untimely injuries to hand Golden State their only two losses of the season so far. Klay Thompson is just one of several key players who’ve been banged up, and in his mind, the Dubs’ historic win streak would still be alive had it not been for those extenuating circumstances. Here’s more from his recent interview with Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post:
You clearly weren’t in rhythm coming back from it [the ankle injury] in Milwaukee in the game that ended the streak. That must have been tough.
Yeah, it was frustrating, but that’s hoops. That’s basketball. I was lucky it wasn’t that bad. It did suck, but we were gonna lose eventually. If we were completely healthy, we probably would still be undefeated, but Milwaukee caught us at a great time and they played a great game, so that’s hoops.
Indeed, the Warriors had just withstood an exhausting double-overtime game against the Boston Celtics less than 24 hours prior. But they would exact revenge against the Bucks in their next meeting just a week later, and they wouldn’t lose again until reigning MVP Steph Curry was forced to sit against the Dallas Mavericks with a leg injury. In short, Thompson has a point. Who knows how many games the Warriors could’ve won had they been able to stay healthy? Unfortunately, that’s not what happened (and season-long health almost never happens), so we’ll just have to be content with their 24-game streak, i.e. the best start to a season in league history.
(Via The Washington Post)
