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USATSI

The Golden State Warriors' frustrating season continued on Tuesday night, as they were handed a surprise defeat by the Oklahoma City Thunder, 137-128, despite 40 points from Steph Curry in his second game back from injury. After five straight wins, they've now lost two in a row and are about to embark on a difficult four-game stretch that could determine whether they're a play-in team or not. 

If they want the answer to be no, they're going to need some improved play from Jordan Poole, who had another stinker against the Thunder and has really struggled since the All-Star break. He finished with 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting from the field, and to make matters worse he was involved in two bizarre moments. 

The first came with less than a minute remaining in the first half. Poole tried to go to work on the wing, but was cut off and forced to pick up his dribble. As he did so, Draymond Green flashed to the middle of the floor and called for the ball. Poole either didn't see him or didn't think he had the angle for the pass, so he threw it to Klay Thompson instead. Green, upset about not getting the ball, then turned his back on the play and walked off, right as Thompson was about to pass it to him. 

Later on, with the Warriors trailing by three early in the fourth quarter, JaMychal Green was called for an offensive foul. Poole had the ball at the time, so he threw it to the referee. It appeared to be a normal bounce pass without any extra force, and went straight to the official. But for whatever reason, the ref felt Poole crossed a line, and hit him with a technical foul. 

While Poole perhaps should have tried to find Green, that sequence was on the veteran. Likewise, he didn't do anything wrong on the technical, which should be rescinded. But even if those two specific plays weren't on him, his poor form in recent weeks is an issue he needs to fix. 

This has been a trying, drama-filled season for Poole since before play even began. He was punched in the face by Green during training camp, signed a huge contract extension, which brought with it increased pressure and expecations, and has had his role altered on a frequent basis due to Curry's injury problems. 

But even accounting for those external factors, this has been a disappointing season for the young guard. His scoring average is up slightly -- 20.7 points from 18.5 -- thanks to a higher usage rate, but he's been less efficient and is turning the ball over more. Since play resumed from the All-Star break, things have been particularly rough. In the Warriors' last eight games, Poole is averaging 18.5 points and 4.9 assists, but is shooting 33.3 percent from the field and 25.4 percent from 3-point land on 8.4 attempts per game.

Poole's talent is not in question, and he showed last season during the playoffs that he can perform at the highest level. But if he can't recover his outside shot, there may not be many big games for him and the Warriors to play in. They have just a half-game lead in the race for the sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot, and are only 2.5 games ahead of the 11th-place Thunder.