OAKLAND – The Warriors started too slowly, shot too poorly and were much too sloppy with the basketball Saturday night, and it cost them in a 99-90 loss to the streaking Spurs.
Facing a San Antonio squad playing without stars Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, the Warriors fell behind early and then caught up, only to come undone in the fourth quarter before the 73rd consecutive sellout crowd at Oracle Arena.
Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 20 points, but committed five turnovers to more than offset his team-high six assists. Klay Thompson had 14, with three turnovers, and David Lee added 13 points along with five turnovers.
The Warriors (44-27) committed 18 turnovers, off which the Spurs scored 27 points, in missing an opportunity to come within a half game of Portland for fifth place in the Western Conference playoff race.
The Spurs (53-16) extended their win streak to 13 games, their longest since 2007, while giving them a 3-0 series lead over the Warriors this season.
San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich kept Duncan and Ginobili on the bench because they played Friday night and he rarely plays his veterans on back-to-back nights.
STANDOUT PERFORMER
Bogut scored only 2 points but grabbed a game-high 17 rebounds in 27 minutes.
Thompson was the most efficient Warrior on offense, making 7-of-16 shots.
The Warriors' bench outscored that of the Spurs 35-23.
TURNING POINT
After a Jermaine O'Neal free throw pulled the Warriors within 2, 76-74, with 10:15 left, the Spurs went on an 11-0 run, taking an 87-74 lead on a Danny Green 3-pointer with 7:35 left.
The Warriors never got closer than the rest of the way.
INJURY REPORT
F Andre Iguodala (right knee tendinitis) did not play C Festus Ezeli (right knee surgery rehab) and are out indefinitely.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Warriors will take a five-day break (highly unusual but they welcome it), returning to the court next Friday to face the Memphis Grizzlies at Oracle Arena.
