Instant Analysis: Warriors’ Fourth-Quarter Collapse Leads To Shocking Loss To Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs handed the Golden State Warriors their fourth loss of the 2024-25 season with a stunning 104-94 win at Frost Bank Center on Saturday. The Warriors led by as many as 17 points late in the third quarter but the Spurs went on a 40-13 run to end the game and dropped the visitors to 12-4 on the season.

Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors with 20 points (6-16 FG), five rebounds, three assists, and one steal while Stephen Curry had just 14 points (5-16 FG), seven rebounds, and five assists. The two big guns didn’t quite deliver and neither did the supporting cast. Trayce Jackson-Davis (12 points), Buddy Hield (11 points), and Lindy Waters III (11 points) were the only other Warriors players to hit double figures on the night.

For the Spurs, Victor Wembanyama came alive in the fourth quarter on his return from injury, finishing with 25 points (9-21 FG), seven rebounds, nine assists, one steal, and three blocks. Former Warrior Harrison Barnes impressed too, recording 22 points (7-8 FG), eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block. Rookie Stephon Castle also chipped in with 19 points (7-15 FG) as the Spurs improved to 9-8.

This was certainly one of the more shocking results of the season and let’s take a deep look at what went wrong for the Warriors on the night.

The Warriors Floundered In The Fourth Quarter

The Warriors seemed to have this game in the bag when Kevon Looney put them up 81-64 with 1:55 left in the third quarter. What followed after that, though, was a complete meltdown. The Spurs ended the quarter on a 7-0 run and then dominated in the final period.

The Warriors lost the fourth quarter 33-13 as they fell apart offensively and defensively. They went 4-19 from the field, 2-10 from three, and 3-6 from the line in the quarter. The Warriors went over five minutes without making a field goal during one stretch and you wouldn’t expect that from a team that came into this game with an offensive rating of 115.7, which ranked sixth in the league.

Meanwhile, on the other end, the Warriors allowed the Spurs to shoot 12-23 from the field in the fourth quarter. Their defense wasn’t good for the whole second half, which was surprising considering how good it was in the first.

The Spurs scored just 38 points in the first half, going 14-43 from the field. It looked like another defensive masterclass from the Warriors but the script flipped afterward. The Spurs scored 66 points in the second half, shooting 24-42 from the field. You’re not going to win too many games where you allow your opponent to shoot better than 50% for an entire half, especially when your offense is stuck in quicksand.

Victor Wembanyama Took Over

Wembanyama made his return to the court against the Warriors after missing three games due to a right knee contusion and he didn’t look quite right for much of the game. The Warriors did a good job of keeping the Frenchman in check as he had just 13 points entering the fourth quarter but he then took over.

Wembanyama scored 12 points in the final period, nearly outscoring the Warriors by himself. He also dished out five assists in the quarter without committing a single turnover, shredding that vaunted defense.

Wembanyama didn’t start this season quite as well as many hoped following his stellar rookie campaign, but is clicking into gear now. He has averaged 32.2 points per game over his last five outings and I expect him to keep delivering on a nightly basis from here on out.

Stephen Curry Had An Off-Night

There was plenty of blame to go around for this loss for the Warriors, but the focus has to be on Curry. It might be an understatement to say he had an off-night, as it was his worst shooting night of the season. His worst coming into this game was when he shot 35.0% from the field against the Utah Jazz on Oct. 25 and he went 31.2% against the Spurs.

The Warriors had beaten the Jazz by 41 points on that night, so Curry’s poor shooting night didn’t cost them but it did here. He never really got going in this one but to his credit, was the only player on his team to make more than one field goal in the fourth quarter.

Curry hasn’t had a great season from a scoring standpoint thus far, as he is averaging just 22.0 points per game. The supporting cast playing well has led to him taking a bit of a backseat, but he needs to step up on nights like these when they don’t have it going.

The Warriors will now look for a return to winning ways when they take on the Brooklyn Nets at Chase Center on Monday at 10 PM ET. The Spurs, meanwhile, will be eying a fourth-straight win when they face the Utah Jazz in an NBA Cup game at Delta Center on Tuesday at 9 PM ET.