There are bad nights in the NBA, and then there are nights when a team can’t seem to get anything going. The Golden State Warriors had one of those nights Friday. Without Steph Curry, they ran into a San Antonio Spurs team that was more than happy to make life miserable. The final score was 123-85, but the game was practically over before it got started.

Golden State didn’t score for the first six minutes. The Spurs opened with an 18-0 run, and by the end of the first quarter, they had built a 26-point lead. That’s a difficult hole to climb out of against any team. Against a team playing this well, it was just about impossible.

Curry’s Absence Changes Everything for the Warriors

We know what Curry brings to Golden State. He’s a terrific scorer, of course, but his value goes beyond the points he puts on the board. Defences have to account for him every second he’s on the floor. His shooting creates space for teammates, opens up the offence, and forces opponents to make decisions they would rather not make. Take him out of the lineup, and the whole picture changes.

The Warriors were also without backup point guard Brandon Williams, which left them short of options. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, who had become another offensive option earlier in the season, struggled badly. He finished just 1-for-13 from the field.

San Antonio made sure there wasn’t much room for anyone else to get comfortable. Victor Wembanyama had 12 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks in only 21 minutes. The Spurs controlled the paint, outscoring Golden State 56-28 inside, and they had a huge advantage in transition.

This Is a Test the Warriors Need to Pass

I’m not ready to call this a crisis for Golden State. Teams lose games when their best player is injured, and the Warriors did play Houston much closer earlier in the week. But two losses since Curry went down remind us how much this team depends on him.

The bigger concern is what happens when opponents know he’s not available. They can put more pressure on the other scorers, crowd the passing lanes, and make Golden State find answers without its most reliable offensive weapon.

The Spurs are playing terrific basketball, and this was a particularly difficult matchup. Still, the Warriors need to find a way to compete without Curry. Nobody expects them to replace him. That’s not realistic. But they do need to show they can be more than a team waiting for him to come back. That’s the challenge now.

Related: Wembanyama May Be Doing Something Dangerous to the NBA