Podz offers blunt Warriors critique after crushing loss to Nuggets

Podz offers blunt Warriors critique after crushing loss to Nuggets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors' epic collapse in Thursday night's 130-127 loss to the Denver Nuggets was the latest example of the heartbreaking losses that have become woven into the fiber of the 2023-24

After the game, rookie guard Brandin Podziemski revealed that he's never dealt with a tumultuous season like the one Golden State is currently progressing through.

"For me, as a rookie, I've probably never lost like this," Podziemski told reporters. "Like I've never had such good wins and such bad losses. So I kind of lean on the vets and what they think, and they just tell me it's another game coming, just try to be consistent in your daily habits, your routine, and more often times than not, we'll come out with a victory. Like I said, we're blowing a lot of leads; we could easily have 20-25 wins."

When asked about the Warriors playing so many tight games this season, Podziemski explained why Golden State's early-game mistakes are costing the team down the stretch.

"A lot of them could have been prevented, I think. I just saw something that we've blown four games that we've lead by 18 or more in. He plays here or there down the stretch and even plays in the first half that you don't really think about because it's the end of the game that impacts the outcome. We have a lot of those plays that tend to not go our way and our record reflects it."

The Warriors held an 18-point lead over the Nuggets with 6:34 remaining in the fourth quarter before Denver ripped off a 25-4 run to close the game. That marked the fourth time this season that Golden State has lost a game where they held at least a 17-point lead, tied with the San Antonio Spurs for the most such games in the league.

Podziemski offered a crucial spark off the bench in the gut-wrenching loss, scoring 13 points while shooting 3 for 4 from the 3-point line. Unfortunately, it was not enough, as the Warriors dropped to 16-18, searching for answers after yet another catastrophic loss.

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