The Golden State Warriors are 0-3 after losing 131-122 to the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, October 24, a week that began with a 127-105 defeat against the Lakers and continued with a 111-108 home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Warriors have scored 111.7 points a game and allowed 123.0, and they have led for less than 42 of the 144 minutes they have played.

The losses do not all look alike. Opening night in Los Angeles was a blowout decided in the third quarter. Friday’s game in San Francisco slipped away late, when Memphis scored 17 straight points. Saturday’s loss in Phoenix came without Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Brandin Podziemski, against a 43-point night from Devin Booker. What links them is defense inside the arc, where opponents have shot 64.4 percent.

The interactive below walks through the start in six steps, from the scoreboard to the two-point defense, the third quarters, the 17-0 run, Curry’s two games and the rise of rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. Every number comes from the Game Centers for Warriors-Lakers, Grizzlies-Warriors and Warriors-Suns. Golden State plays next at Denver on Monday, October 26.

Stephen Curry in Washington, March 2, 2011. Photo: Keith Allison / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized.

WhyNBA Interactive

Golden State at 0-3: where the week went wrong

Three losses by a combined 34 points. Here is the start in six steps: the defense inside the arc, the third quarters, the 17-0 in San Francisco, Stephen Curry’s missed night and the rookie who keeps getting better.

Exterior of Chase Center in San Francisco

Chase Center, San Francisco, Aug. 31, 2025. Photo: Sarah Stierch / Wikimedia Commons · CC0.

Step 1

Three games, three losses, minus 34

Golden State opened at the Lakers and lost 127-105. Two nights later Memphis won 111-108 at Chase Center. On Saturday, Phoenix won 131-122 in its home opener.

Across the three nights the Warriors scored 335 points and gave up 369. They were in front for 41 minutes and 56 seconds of 144.

Wed., Oct. 21At Lakers: lost 127-105
Fri., Oct. 23Vs. Grizzlies: lost 111-108
Sat., Oct. 24At Suns: lost 131-122

111.7points per game scored

123.0points per game allowed

−34total point margin

Step 2

Opponents are living inside the arc

The clearest number of the week is two-point defense. Opponents made 96 of 149 two-point shots, 64.4 percent.

The Lakers went 35-of-53 inside the arc on opening night, with Walker Kessler 12-of-12 from the field. Phoenix was even better on Saturday at 36-of-49, while Devin Booker went 15-of-18 on twos on his way to 43 points.

Opponent two-point percentage

Lakers (35/53)66%

Grizzlies (25/47)53%

Suns (36/49)73%

64.4%opponent 2-point shooting, three games

96two-pointers allowed

43Booker points on Saturday

Step 3

The third quarter keeps getting away

Golden State has been outscored 105-88 in third quarters. The Lakers won the opening-night third 36-16 and turned a 14-point halftime gap into a 34-point lead.

Phoenix scored 45 in Saturday’s third quarter after the Warriors had gone ahead midway through it. The only third quarter Golden State won came against Memphis, 34-24.

Third quarters, Warriors-opponent

Lakers game16-36

Grizzlies game34-24

Suns game38-45

105third-quarter points allowed

88third-quarter points scored

Chase Center, San Francisco, Aug. 31, 2025. Photo: Sarah Stierch / Wikimedia Commons · CC0.

Step 4

The 17-0 that decided Friday

The Grizzlies game was the one that got away. Golden State built a 12-point lead and forced 25 Memphis turnovers, yet scored only 18 points in the fourth quarter.

Memphis put together a 17-0 run, the longest scoring streak by any Warriors opponent this season, and won 111-108. Ty Jerome scored 28 and Cameron Boozer had 25 points and 13 rebounds.

17-0Memphis run

12biggest Warriors lead

25Memphis turnovers

Fourth-quarter points, Warriors

Lakers game37

Grizzlies game18

Suns game30

Stephen Curry in a Warriors uniform before a game

Stephen Curry in Washington, March 2, 2011. Photo: Keith Allison / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized.

Step 5

Curry perfect at the line, then out

Stephen Curry scored 23 at the Lakers and 24 against Memphis, and made all 18 of his free throws in the two games. From the field he was 12-of-30.

He did not play in Phoenix, and neither did Brandin Podziemski or Draymond Green. Green had 14 assists and 9 turnovers in the first two games.

47Curry points in two games

18/18Curry free throws

12/30Curry field goals

Curry points by game

At Lakers23

Vs. Grizzlies24

At SunsDNP

Step 6

Yaxel Lendeborg is climbing

The bright line on the chart belongs to the rookie forward. Yaxel Lendeborg scored 12, then 18, then 26, and pulled down 25 rebounds across the three games.

In Phoenix he made 6 of 11 threes. De’Anthony Melton followed the same curve: no points on opening night, 10 against Memphis and 25 off the bench in Phoenix.

Lendeborg points by game

At Lakers12

Vs. Grizzlies18

At Suns26

Melton points by game

At Lakers0

Vs. Grizzlies10

At Suns25

56Lendeborg points in three games

8/18Lendeborg threes

25Lendeborg rebounds

The Warriors are 0-3, but one loss came without part of their core and another on a late collapse. The fixes start inside the arc and in the third quarter. Next up is a trip to Denver on Monday, October 26, at 10 p.m. ET; the Warriors-Nuggets Game Center has the preview.

Interactive: How the Warriors got to 0-3 — the paint, the third quarters and a 17-0 run, step by step