The Warriors didn't shy away from reality following their 116-113 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Monday night: They needed a win. Desperately.
But first, the Warriors needed something to spark that fire.
Golden State trailed the Kings by five points in the third quarter when Steph Curry banked in a jumper. He thought it warranted a foul call, but the referees swallowed their whistles, causing Curry to argue with an official and get awarded with a technical foul.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
"I see a lot of jokes about me kicking a chair ... and going on a run after that," Curry said after the game. "So, maybe that will be this year's version."
Curry gave a swift kick to a chair on the Warriors' bench during a Jan. 21 matchup against the Houston Rockets last season.
The Warriors were on a 3-6 skid at the time, and Curry was working through the worst shooting slump of his NBA career.
Curry went on to knock down his first career game-winning buzzer-beater that night, a 20-foot jumper for the victory.
Golden State Warriors
Find the latest Golden State Warriors news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
That dub launched a 10-game winning streak for the Warriors, who, of course, went on to win the NBA championship.
Golden State entered Monday's game reeling from a five-game winless road trip. The Warriors are the first defending champions to start the next season 0-6 away from home.
RELATED: Steph carrying Warriors again is heroic, but not sustainable
Yet Curry's animated technical foul against the Kings inserted the needed energy back into the Warriors. Curry scored 17 of his season-high 47 points in the fourth quarter to secure the much-needed win.
"I was just trying to win a basketball game and find some competitive fire," Curry said.
Just as they did after the chair went flying at Chase Center in January, the Warriors might be going streaking.