Another loss for the Dub Nation, and the cracks inside the dressing room are obvious. Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler’s 30 apiece in the same game for the second time this season wasn’t enough as the Hawks ran over 124-111. Coach Steve Kerr tried to put paper over the cracks, but the issues persist for the Warriors.

In the post-game presser, Kerr said, “I’m pleased with the process.”

Atlanta, built on size and athleticism, simply overpowered the Warriors’ small-ball lineup. With the Trailblazers coming up next, who play a similar style, Kerr doesn’t feel there needs to be a bigger change.

“It was not a loose game on our part. We’ve just got to stick with what we’ve been doing the last few weeks. Keep it simple, take care of the ball, and obviously knock down some shots. That always helps. I don’t think we were that bad.”

While the Warriors have been rediscovering offense and winning eight of their previous 11 games, they are light on elite athleticism. But the Hawks showcased active, disruptive defenders and had enough shooters to take full advantage of the havoc they created against Golden State. This is exactly what Steve Kerr tried to hide while the players, starting from their superstar, openly acknowledged their problems.

“We struggled to get paint touches tonight,” Stephen Curry noted.

“The ball was kind of just swinging around the perimeter, and they were able to keep five bodies on bodies. That’s usually what good defenses do. Tonight, we didn’t have that answer.”

Not just Chef Curry, but even an 8-year veteran teammate expressed a similar sentiment.

“As you said, they got a lot of long, lanky dudes out there, especially with their guard play,” De’Anthony Melton said. “They did a good job of just getting to the ball, being aggressive on their switches, using their hands as best possible. I mean, that’s how they can win games and get in transition.”

Golden State’s offense seemed strangled in its efforts to penetrate a defense that featured 6-foot-9 Jalen Johnson, 6-foot-9 Onyeka Okongwu, and 6-foot-11 Mouhammed Gueye up front, with 6-foot-7 defensive ace Dyson Daniels and 6-foot-5 Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the backcourt. The Warriors did lead by as much as 10 in the first half, only to trail by as much as 25 in the second.

They were outscored 20-7 over the final 6:07 of the third quarter.

The Hawks, since New Year’s Eve, have gone 4-2 with wins over the Timberwolves, Knicks, and Nuggets, while sporting the league’s second-best defensive rating. The Warriors lost the turnover battle 16-9, but the points off turnover battle were far more stark. A 28-11 advantage for the visitors. Atlanta took advantage of opportunities, and Golden State simply did not.

Steve Kerr had no answer for the Hawks’ defense

Atlanta took the 59-53 lead in the first half and came out strongly in the third quarter. The Warriors lost their composure and went back into a bad old habit.

Turnovers and live-ball giveaways, Golden State committed five in the pivotal third quarter, giving the Hawks 13 points. Curry and Butler’s exploits were not enough to stop the bleeding.

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The rest of the team managed only 50 points on 42 percent shooting from the field, including 20 percent from distance, while committing 11 of the 16 turnovers. With the Warriors finding it difficult to score in the paint, they struggled to shoot from deep, too.

Curry had only 3-of-11 from deep, Butler dropped just 2-of-6 beyond the arc, and Golden State’s 23.8% 3-point shooting became a season low.

Now, with Stephen Curry and Melton saying there needs to be a change, Kerr has yet to see that way.