SAN FRANCISCO _ As Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green walked off the court, he made sure the officiating staff could still hear him.
Midway through the second quarter of the Warriors' 116-86 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday at Chase Center, Green was called for his fourth foul when he was knocked over by Dwight Howard on a screen.
He unleashed a verbal assault on a pair of officials _ first at Marat Kogut and then at Tyler Ford _ and was promptly ejected from the game. The obscenities continued as he disappeared into the team tunnel.
Even when the Warriors (12-47) aren't playing for much more than lottery position, losing eight-straight games has the team frustrated. Without Green, Golden State unraveled in a decisive third quarter.
Down by only two at halftime, the Warriors gave up a nine-point lead to start the third, and forward Marquese Chriss earned a technical foul of his own when he argued an offensive foul with crew chief Ken Mauer.
Moments later, the Lakers used an 11-0 run, capped off by forward Kyle Kuzma's transition dunk, to take a 21-point lead.
In all, Golden State was outscored 40-17 in the third quarter, as the Lakers made 16-of-23 shots while the Warriors missed 13 of their 19 shots and committed seven turnovers.
All of Golden State's starters _ except for guard Jordan Poole, who briefly exited the game midway through the third quarter with an ankle injury _ recorded at least four fouls.
The Warriors' frustrations were exacerbated by a free-throw discrepancy that helped decide the game. The Lakers went 18-for-27 from the free throw line, while the Warriors attempted only 10 free throws, making nine.
However, more than that contributed to the Warriors' loss. Poor shooting (8-for-24 from 3-point range), careless turnovers (27 that led to 24 Lakers' points) and worse rim protection (60 points in the paint allowed) resulted in the Warriors' 23rd loss in the last 26 games.
Although the Warriors were without forward Andrew Wiggins, acquired in a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this month, the Lakers were without forward LeBron James. James' absence may have presented an opportunity for this make-shift roster.
There were some encouraging performances. Rookie forward Eric Paschall had 23 points on 7-for-14 shooting (8-for-9 from the free-throw line) and accounted for nearly all of his team's free throws, while Poole finished with 14 points on 6-for-12 shooting and eight assists in 30 minutes after returning at the start of the fourth quarter.
For the Lakers (45-12), forward Anthony Davis went for 23 points on 6-for-13 shooting and six rebounds in 25 minutes before sitting the entire fourth quarter.
An improvement in the mood of the team may be on the way, as Stephen Curry is set to be evaluated Friday and could make his return as soon as Sunday, when the Warriors face the Wizards at Chase Center.
Before then, Golden State will play the Suns in Phoenix on Saturday.
