SAN FRANCISCO — What just happened?
Warriors fans filing out of Chase Center Wednesday night were probably wondering that after the lowly Detroit Pistons pulled off an absolute shocker.
Still reveling in the high of what could have been an epic game-tying shot by Klay Thompson with one second left, Warriors fans were stunned and shushed by Saddiq Bey. The Pistons wing hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer as time expired to give his squad a 122-119 victory to end the Warriors’ five-game win streak and perfect homestand.
Klay looked like he’d be the hero for the second straight game, just two nights removed from a 54-point effort in a double overtime win against the Atlanta Hawks. After being held to 13 points though the first three quarters, he willed the Warriors back in the final period with his 17 points. None were more intense than this 3-pointer, which was drawn up by coach Steve Kerr after a timeout with four seconds remaining.
Fans were thinking they’d be seeing some more free basketball after his clutch trifecta swished through the net, but it was just an appetizer for Bey’s dagger.
"I thought we fought really hard tonight," Thompson said. "Bey made an incredible shot, so credit to him, but just a hard-fought gutsy effort and I'm really proud of every single man who played."
Bey’s shot was a fitting cause of defeat for the Warriors, who struggled to guard the 3-point line. Ty Jerome was guarding Bey on the inbounds pass and expected one of his teammates to switch, but it didn't happen and the Pistons wing was found daylight for the final shot. For the game, the Pistons went 16-of-36 (44.4 percent) from the line and took advantage of a slow-footed Warriors defense, as the Dubs didn't close out well on several occasions.
"They definitely hit some tough ones," Jerome said. "But I have to go back and watch the film to see if it was our defense."
As Jerome noted, some of them were unlikely. Hamidou Diallo hit a contested 3-pointer at the shot-clock buzzer in the second quarter (over Jerome) and he entered the game with four threes made all year. Rodney McGruder, who was famously called out by Klay in 2021, hit a 3-pointer after shaking Thompson on a switch in the corner in the second quarter. McGruder entered the game with 10 made 3-pointers on the year. And the buzzer-beater, Jerome called it a shot Bey would make "two out of 10 times."
Sure, Golden State was shorthanded without five available players Wednesday, but ultimately its defense allowed Detroit to go on a series of quick runs that kept the Warriors chasing. The Pistons rank 24th in the NBA with a 110.8 offensive rating (points per 100 possessions).
It also didn't help that Jordan Poole had a gaffe in crunch time, as he dribbled into a turnover with six seconds left and the Warriors down by one. Poole has been turnover-prone lately and also played a central role in the heartbreaking loss to the Utah Jazz on Dec. 7 after he fumbled an inbounds pass in the final seconds.
The Warriors are confident that Poole, who dropped 24 points, will continue to grow from these tough moments.
"I have no worries about Jordan," Thompson said.
