The Golden State Warriors walked away from their latest matchup with the Dallas Mavericks with more questions than answers. Despite Stephen Curry dropping 38 points in a vintage scoring performance, the Warriors couldn’t close the deal, falling apart in the fourth quarter and surrendering a game that was well within reach. The final 12 minutes told the story - a 39-26 fourth-quarter collapse that’s becoming all too familiar for this team.
It wasn’t just the scoreboard that drew attention. A viral courtside moment involving Curry, Klay Thompson, and rookie guard Brandin Podziemski stirred up some chatter online.
The clip showed Podziemski approaching the two veterans mid-conversation, only to quickly retreat - a moment that some interpreted as awkward or telling. Draymond Green, never one to stay silent, addressed the incident on The Draymond Green Show, offering some veteran perspective and a little protection for the rookie.
“Y’all stay off my man BP, man,” Green said, defending Podziemski. “BP obviously played with Steph and I, played with Klay, he was coming to talk to Klay, but we were in the middle of a conversation.”
According to Green, the moment was more about timing than anything else. “He was just coming to show some love for Klay.
I think most people wouldn’t have the feel to be like, you know what, I’m just going to get the hell out of here. I’ll see him another time.”
That kind of self-awareness, especially from a young player, didn’t go unnoticed by the four-time champ. “Shout out to BP for having the feel to be like, you know what, these guys are laughing and talking - which really was just us laughing at Klay, per usual. He got the hell out of there.”
The interaction may have gone viral, but it’s the on-court issues that should really be going under the microscope. The Warriors once again struggled to hold a lead late, something that’s become a troubling trend this season. Even with Curry doing everything he could to keep them afloat, Golden State couldn’t withstand Dallas’ late-game push - a push led by rising star Cooper Flagg, who posted a 21-point double-double and looked every bit the real deal.
And with Jimmy Butler sidelined, teams have found a clear path to disrupting Golden State: limit Curry’s touches, throw bodies at him, and dare someone else to beat you. So far, that strategy’s working. The Warriors haven’t found a consistent secondary scoring threat, and their defensive lapses in crunch time are making it easy for opponents to flip the script late.
The chemistry is still there - you can see it in the way the vets interact, even in a lighthearted moment like the one with Podziemski. But chemistry alone won’t win games in the West.
If the Warriors want to get back to being a real threat, they’ll need more than just Curry’s brilliance. They need to tighten the screws in the fourth quarter, find a reliable second option, and start closing games the way championship teams do.