SALT LAKE CITY _ Nearly four days after playing with postseason intensity, the Warriors stepped on the floor and competed as if it were a pointless exhibition.
And so it went, the Warriors' 129-99 loss to the Utah Jazz on Tuesday starkly contrasted to Golden State's nail-biting victory last Saturday against Boston. Then, the Warriors offered a possible Finals preview with a blend of star power, defensive grit and clutch plays over the Celtics. On Tuesday, the Warriors (40-11) provided regular-season apathy with a blend of off nights, defensive laziness and sloppy play against the Jazz (22-28). As a result, the Warriors suffered their most lopsided loss of the season and failed to crack the 100-point barrier for only the fifth time.
On one hand, Kerr has expected such nights after the Warriors won two NBA titles out of three Finals appearances.
Kerr was in this building nearly 19 years ago in the 1998 NBA Finals with the Chicago Bulls as he recalled the team "hanging on by a thread" against the Jazz before ultimately winning a third consecutive NBA title.
"It takes a lot out of you, so to expect these guys to be going full out defensively for 82 more games is unrealistic," Kerr said. "As long as we're building good habits and not completely breaking down in key areas, we can count on the fact when our playoffs are approaching, our defense will pick up and our intensity will get better."
On the other hand, Kerr did not envision the game being this bad.
Stephen Curry (14 points on 4 of 13 shooting) and Kevin Durant (17 points on 5 of 13 shooting) shot poorly four days after Curry posted 49 points against the Celtics. After staying put as mostly a pass-shoot guard without a dependable jumper, Jazz guard Ricky Rubio had a team-leading 23 points on 9 of 16 shooting. While the Warriors shot only 5 of 25 from 3-point range, Jazz forward Joe Ingles went 6 of 8. The lone highlights: Warriors guard Klay Thompson posting 27 points on 12 of 17 shooting and Warriors reserve center JaVale McGree offering a surprising 14 points and going 7 of 8 from the field.
"The games never stop coming. So you got to be able to rely on good habits and fundamentals. Some games you're going to be fired up for, and some games you're going to be exhausted," Kerr said beforehand. "This is a game we should have no problem getting up for. We had off basically and are well rested and in a good groove."
On Tuesday, the Warriors were not in a good groove. Instead, Golden State struggled hitting the right notes against the Jazz.
