Warriors fall to Pistons 115-107

OAKLAND - Stephen Curry believes the Warriors are close to being their old, dominant selves again, even if so much seems to be going wrong so far.

One night, it’s offensive rebounds surrendered. Another, it’s turnovers. Or an all-out foul fest.

The defending champions are showing some serious flaws - and coach Steve Kerr is calling out his team to be far more composed.

Curry and Golden State got handed a second home defeat at this early stage of the season, falling 115-107 to the Pistons on Sunday night as Avery Bradley scored 23 points for Detroit.

“It just has to matter enough. Right now it just doesn’t seem to matter. Our guys are lacking in energy and focus and discipline,” Kerr said. “We finally started caring with six minutes left when we were threatened and we immediately cut it to three because we cared. But the right team won, karma was in the right place tonight.”

Tobias Harris hit a 3-pointer with 1:27 remaining that all but sealed it after Kevin Durant fueled a late rally. Durant hit consecutive 3-pointers to get Golden State back within 101-94 then dunked the next time down to make it 103-96 with 4:40 to go before finding Thompson for a 3 on the next possession.

Durant’s dunk at 2:12 made it 108-105. Curry had a steal and drive with 1:51 left but couldn’t convert, then missed a 3 as Golden State kept possession. Durant missed from deep the next time down.

The Warriors lost only twice total at Oracle Arena in both their 2015 championship year and again in the 73-win season that followed, then just five times at home on the way to another title last season.

“We’re really close to being ourselves,” Curry said. “For the most part those little things are keeping us from really opening up the gates in games like tonight where we had a pretty comfortable lead in the third quarter.”

Klay Thompson scored 29 points and became the 11th player in franchise history to eclipse 9,000 career points. Durant wound up with 28 points and Curry 27.

Stanley Johnson’s dunk with 6:56 left put the Pistons up 98-88.

“When our intensity and energy rises on defense I think we’re a pretty good team,” Johnson said.

Golden State looked efficient again initially, passing well and making better decisions, but it was sloppy down the stretch. The Warriors shot 57.1 percent with 29 assists and were at a 63.5-percent clip midway through the third quarter before allowing the Pistons back in the game.

Reggie Jackson scored 18 of his 22 points in the first half and Bradley made five 3-pointers for the Pistons, who impressed on the second night of a SoCal-NorCal back-to-back.

Detroit beat the Clippers 95-87 on Saturday to hand Los Angeles its first defeat and leaving no more undefeated NBA teams.

With 11 blocks, Golden State has gone seven consecutive games with at least seven blocks.

NOTES

Detroit rallied from 14 down - 68-54 midway through the third - to go ahead by 13 then held off a Warriors flurry.

The Pistons shot 12 for 27 from 3-point range and made all 17 of their free throws.

Curry hit a career-best 54 consecutive free throws dating to his final two last season - 52 in a row to begin this season when he missed a technical shot in the third.

Rookie Jordan Bell was inactive for a second consecutive game, with Kerr realizing it’s going to be a tough choice every night given Kevon Looney’s improvements and a need for big man JaVale McGee based on matchups.