Why the Warriors still believe they can get back to their championship ways - ESPN

AFTER TERRY ROZIER drilled a wide-open 21-footer to push the Miami Heat to an 18-point lead over a listless Golden State Warriors team, Stephen Curry collected the ball and threw it with both hands at the bottom of the rim.

Curry couldn't hide his frustrations, as coach Steve Kerr called for a timeout with 3:05 left to put in his reserves. He wandered aimlessly from the end of the Warriors sideline to the scorer's table and back to the bench, staring up into the Chase Center air as if he were searching for answers from above.

Less than 24 hours earlier, shrouded by the Jimmy Butler trade drama, the Heat lost in double overtime to the Sacramento Kings. Yet inexplicably, the Warriors were the ones who looked lifeless and disconnected despite 31 points and eight 3-pointers from Curry.

The Warriors started the season 12-3 only to go 7-17 in the next 24 games. They are the first team in NBA history to start 12-3 or better only to stand below .500 later in the season, according to ESPN Research.

Whether it's a 51-point debacle against the Memphis Grizzlies or allowing the Toronto Raptors to win for just the ninth time all season by failing to score in the final 2½ minutes in a 104-101 loss, the Warriors keep adding to the buffet of demoralizing losses this season.

«It's very volatile right now in terms of the emotional roller coaster this year,» Curry told ESPN. «Similar to what it was like that [2021-22 season that ended with a championship]. I think it's a challenge for us to just try to maintain confidence in what we're doing, what we're building.

»And until we run out of time, we have to maintain it."

When the Boston Celtics visit Chase Center on Monday, Curry and the Warriors will be reminded that their confidence was