Spurs expose Warriors’ scoring void without Curry in 123–85 rout

San Antonio turned that opening into a 123–85 victory at Frost Bank Center, extending its winning streak to 11 games and taking first place in NBA Cup West Group C. Stephon Castle scored a season-high 32 points. Golden State, playing its first game without Curry since his right oblique tear, produced only two double-figure scorers. The missing star mattered, but so did the opponent: the Spurs finished the night 11–2, tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the Western Conference’s best record.⁠11⁠12

One early number needs correcting. USA TODAY’s account, carried by Yahoo Sports, gave San Antonio a 38–15 lead after the first quarter. The official NBA linescore records 38–14. The same USA TODAY report described the 18–0 opening as a Spurs franchise record; Golden State’s official recap called it the Warriors’ worst start in the Steve Kerr era. That is the supported scale of the achievement, not an NBA-wide record.⁠1⁠11⁠12

The opening combined two extremes. Golden State missed its first 11 shots, while San Antonio began 8-for-10. Gui Santos finally broke the shutout with a driving layup through contact at 5:53 of the first quarter, ending a scoreless stretch of six minutes and seven seconds. He missed the accompanying free throw.⁠11⁠12

Castle supplied the first-quarter force, finishing the period with 13 points, two assists and a rebound while making all three of his three-point attempts. Victor Wembanyama added four points, three rebounds and three assists. LJ Cryer offered Golden State an early response with two threes off the bench, but those six points were only a small interruption to San Antonio’s control.⁠1

The Warriors finished the quarter 5-for-25 from the field. Their 14 points were their lowest total in any quarter this season and the fewest San Antonio had allowed in a quarter. This was not merely a hot opponent getting ahead; Golden State could scarcely generate a scoring foothold of its own.⁠11

The more revealing evidence came after the opening drought ended. At halftime, no Warriors starter had made more than one field goal. Castle’s 18 points exceeded the entire Golden State starting five’s combined output, and Cryer led the visitors with nine points in 10 minutes. San Antonio shot 50 percent in the half to Golden State’s 25 percent and led 63–33.⁠12

Those 33 points were the fewest by a Spurs opponent in a first half since Phoenix scored 31 on February 7, 2018. The deficit eventually reached 43 in the third quarter. San Antonio led 97–60 entering the fourth and could rest its starters and most key reserves for the entire final period. The Spurs won every quarter, including a largely academic fourth, 26–25.⁠11

The answer to the opening question, then, was not one player having to score a little more. Golden State needed production across a lineup that was failing almost everywhere at once. Cryer supplied an unusually strong night; the trouble was how little help accompanied it.

Cryer finished with career highs of 20 points and six made three-pointers, shooting 7-for-17 overall and 6-for-11 from deep. He also had six assists in about 24 minutes. It was his third consecutive double-figure game, following 10 points against New Orleans and 13 against Houston. Charles Bassey, with 11 points, was the only other Warrior to reach double figures.⁠11⁠12

Rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg had identified the adjustment before tipoff, saying he needed to be “a lot more aggressive” without Curry and acknowledging that getting comfortable in the role would take time. He then scored three points on 1-for-13 shooting, with seven rebounds and one assist. His night captured the distance between accepting more responsibility and successfully converting it into offense.⁠11⁠12

Curry suffered the right oblique tear in Wednesday’s 115–108 loss at Houston and is sidelined for at least two weeks. That is a minimum absence, not a confirmed return date. One game cannot establish how Golden State will perform throughout his recovery, especially against a team on the league’s longest active winning streak. It does establish that the first solution was nowhere near sufficient.⁠11⁠12

Castle, meanwhile, needed only 25 minutes and seven seconds for his 32 points, six assists and five rebounds. He made 12 of 18 shots, five of eight threes and all three free throws, surpassing his previous season high of 24 against Oklahoma City on opening night. Wembanyama finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal in about 21 minutes.⁠11

The game also included a dangerous-looking confrontation before halftime. Draymond Green received a Flagrant Foul 1 for a running forearm shove from behind that sent Wembanyama out of bounds with 6:47 remaining in the second quarter. Green finished with four points, three rebounds and three assists in about 16 minutes. The foul was a Flagrant 1, not an ejection.⁠11

Both teams entered the Cup matchup 1–0, with Golden State ahead on point differential. Their head-to-head result put San Antonio atop West Group C at 2–0 and left the Warriors 1–1. Qualification remains unsettled: Golden State still has group games at home against Sacramento on November 25 and at Portland on November 27.⁠12

The Warriors fell to 8–5 overall, losing consecutive games for the first time since their 0–3 start. Their road trip continues Monday, November 16, at New Orleans, with tipoff at Smoothie King Center scheduled for 5 p.m. Pacific. San Antonio next visits Utah on Sunday, November 15.⁠11⁠12

For the Spurs, the opening burst became another complete win. For the Warriors, the task is more urgent than simply avoiding another scoreless start: they have to find an offense that works after the first basket, too.