Steph Curry: “You don’t have to overthink it” (we’ll do so anyways)
[+notes/quotes/video from G5+G6 Warriors-Kings]
Major catch-up with the notes, quotes and video from Games 5 and 6 below. After the Game 6 loss, Stephen Curry was on the podium and got asked about the 2018 Game 7 on the road in Houston. He steered away from the comparison and summed up heading into today’s Game 7 in Sacramento as having “competitive spirit. You don’t have to overthink it, either. It’s just basketball… stay locked in and composed, but it’s just basketball. Just play.”
A positive-thinking commenter on our livechat postgame after the loss also used the same words of not overthinking it. Still, throughout all I’ve seen from so many different levels of basketball, you can’t help but try to come up with some theories of why the Golden State Warriors showed so little urgency in Game 6.
Mine: When you’re older you try to get away with winning games with as minimal (some might call it “efficient”) effort as possible. So you throw a couple of haymakers — some made by Curry and Klay Thompson and some missed — and hope your young opponents succumb to the road. But the Sacramento Kings are really, really good and our old vets didn’t really have their backs against the wall. And to not overthink things, technically the Warriors won the right to lay an egg by winning three straight.
Yet I could’ve sworn late in Game 5 that the Dubs had figured out the Kings’ defense and was close to doing so on both ends, a complete master-class clinic, but then Draymond Green threw the ball away, committed a take foul, which was followed by another take foul by Jordan Poole moments later, and we never quite got to the point where the Kings felt they couldn’t score a bucket, along the same lines as GSW having figured out the Boston Celtics by Game 6 of the Finals.
Even Steph said of his dagger layup and-one versus Harrison Barnes to seal Game 5: “Literally all I could think about was, ‘Don’t turn it over, don’t turn it over, don’t turn it over.’”
So what was going through Draymond’s mind in that particular game- and, potentially, series-shifting brain fart? These are all anomalies that are so puzzling. As a former coach of adult men’s traveling tournament teams, I seek to find the cause of mistakes.
But Steve Kerr said before Game 5, “It’s a game of mistakes, you just try to limit them,” which was in reference to the timeout being called late in Game 4 when they didn’t have any.
I think it just comes down to if the Warriors have their backs against the wall or not. We’ve seen the pattern ever since the opening road trip to Detroit, Charlotte, Miami and Orlando (forget New Orleans, that was a back-to-back rest day).
And yet no one can predict how Game 7 will unfold, so maybe there isn’t a pattern? It’s a new NBA where an eighth seed can beat a one-seed in five games, the pace can get unreal, and the guy who changed the game with his unbelievable long-distance shooting will still throw the ball to the other team five times per game on four occasions out of six.
I definitely agree with Steph in deflecting all this talk about Mike Brown’s switch to small-ball (aided by Domantas Sabonis’ foul trouble, btw) and the usual whining about Kerr’s rotations or usage of Jonathan Kuminga (discussed in my previous article). Tweaks to substitutions or Xs & Os are never going to measure up to bringing out the sense of desperation, the desire, the championship DNA that’s needed to make three consecutive stops in a row against elite ballers. Curry would go on to repeat on the podium after Game 6:
“It’s just basketball.”
Notes, quotes and video below are all in reverse chronological order with the exception of putting the behind-the-scenes video, picture gallery and livestream above the interview quotes…
Warriors-Kings G6: “Sabogus”, Dance Cam Mom, ladder-on-chin guy; Steph Curry logo shots; GP2 diploma
• Tim Kawakami from inside a quiet locker room postgame Game 6: https://theathletic.com/4468222/2023/04/29/warriors-kings-score-game-7-analysis/
Stephen Curry sat in the middle, with Klay Thompson 20 feet to his left and Draymond Green 20 feet to his right in the Warriors’ large locker room. There was nobody in between them. It was quiet. More than an hour after the Warriors’ dismal Game 6 loss to the Kings, every other player had exited, leaving those three to themselves and their own thoughts.
PICTURE GALLERY FROM GAME 6
2:30 on Giannis/failure, Eric Nehm was wrong, JP will start btw
11:00 Looney wins a tip, saves a tov, bad pass by Wiggs
11m20 Klay heat's check off the bat, leads to a Barnes dunk, Klay said my bad
10m45 Loon misses JP, JP misses Klay in the corner
10m10 Loon tov
9m55 Sabonis corner 3, Brown told him to shoot before the game
9m30 Loon tov
15:30 mistakes: Wiggs 1 (bad pass opening tipoff that Loon saved), Klay 2 (let HB dunk down the lane, rushed a heat-check), Loon 3 (didn't hit JP in the corner, tov, didn't catch Klay's pass), JP 2 (deflected pass, missed Klay in the corner and got blocked by Sab), a point for each mistake
9m10 Steph hero 3
8m50 good box-out JP, Steph more hero-ball
8m30 Loon gets away with a rebounding foul, Sabonis called
8m10 Klay calls the Loon PNR too late in the shotclock
7m50 Steph draws Sabonis 2nd foul, lucky Keegan bit on Steph, but Steph misses FT
21:30 this is what you would've expected in Game 1
7m30 Steph late to the Keegan 3
7m20 per usual Huerter grabbing on the curl
7m18 Fox subs out!
7m12 Loon doesn't see Klay open, third time today we've missed an open corner or baseline
7m10 Loon saves the day with putback, back to normal?
6m55 Steph subs out, Donte in
6m26 Klay takes another practice shot dead ball, Dray checks in for Loon
24:30 maybe we continue to have Dray come off bench if he is a Warrior still
6m15 great D by Klay and Wiggs vs Sabonis inside
5m45 Klay scores 94 feet vs Sabonis who can't foul, after Dray disrupts Huerter
5m33 Donte mistake as KH beats him on cut baseline
5m20 Klay's pass to Dray could've been less lob-y
5m10 Moody checks in for Wiggs, probably wouldn't have this lineup in without Dray (Moody Donte JP)
5m00 Davion takes JP easily off POA, and-one (AAU level smh)
4m17 Steph back in for JP after a sling pass he prob learned from Curry
4m10 Klay hero three good
3m29 maybe Dray is politicking with Bill Kennedy bc so far those have been weak takes
3m28 Terence Davis checks in, Donte draws a foul on him after a steal by Moody
35:45 to people hating on Kerr sitting Klay: maybe he's taken bad shots, maybe let Moody get warm, it's still close, etc. too much going down the rabbit hole of early coach's decisions
2m30 NBC Sports Bay Area once again does not put up the bonus light BEFORE the fifth foul, they do it ON the fifth foul
38:15 my new thing: let's dissect what players are doing wrong before coaches
2m10 tiki finally Dray to Moses
1m10 too early to challenge the Donte non-charge after good defensive sequences by Wiggs, Steph and Donte, clock is stuck at 12m00 -- anyways that's my thesis: https://www.letsgowarriors.com/p/too-many-refs-nba-officiating-draymond-sabonis
0m46 Steph throws the ball to the other team, but Mo gets a steal, Donte 3 via Moody pick Dray assist -- so maybe it was good to have Mo in for Klay?
43:45 overall it's been a B- in terms of watch-ability, but I'd say a C+ in terms of tiki-taka execution (SplashBrothers have 5 hero makes between them, but 5 team tov
45:15 btw, L2M report did confirm Steph palmed the ball before Harrison Barnes fouled him -- so we can't really be mad at refs because that was the dagger to Game 5 -- and so there's too many refs, whittle it down to my top five to ten: Bill Kennedy, Eric Lewis, Tony Brothers, Ed Malloy, Scott Foster.
11m50 Q2 Monk keeps his dribble alive so well
10m55 Wiggs blocks Keegan, Monk tells Keegan to go up sooner, but this offense reminds me of Memphis U under Calipari
10m30 GP2 in for Dray
49:45 Klay is still elite, almost in a class by himself, name another 2-guard? Jimmy Butler? Primarily the defense
9m45 Steph tov, Monk another good dribble, JP wild shot, Loon saves the day again
9m03 Fox tech because, as I mentioned, we have 2nd and 3rd tier refs today
52:45 if I were the Coach, bc I'm really into the psychology, my advice to Steve would be to tell the team that that tech was lucky for us, you guys better beware that we have a couple 2nd-rate refs today (other than Kennedy)
56:15 SAC 47-40 on FGA
57:30 sometimes you can blow a guy's confidence if you take him out right after a mistake, that's not in NBA2K
8m35 Gary unexplainable tov, fumbled the ball
8m10 Davis mismatch vs Loon
7m59 JP gets downhill, foul on Monk who argues with Ben Taylor
7m40 JP loses track of Keegan
7m12 Dray fouls Monk on close out, shouldn't have looked at the ball and stayed at 45 degrees, instead his butt goes into Monk
7m09 JP doesn't want to come out for Wiggs, that's something you gotta deal with as a coach
6m30 Steph 3 hero down 8
6m15 GP2 gotta know if he catches a lob that he's liable to charge
5m30 Wiggs hurries a 3, Klay throws away the rebound
1:04:45 Warriors have to wake up to the urgency of not going to Sacramento in 48 hours
4m56 Sabonis cut on eye, could be a concussion
4m20 Klay hits a hero 3 at least those are working tonight
3m50 other thing working for us is KH 0/4, then Klay hits baseline
3m35 Elizabeth Geyer: "someone get hot along with Klay" -- I'd rather we play with more force, have urgency and execute
2m20 Wiggs post up iso but Fox 94 feet
2m00 Donte dap Monk for good hard foul
1m50 Steph finally tough D on Fox finally, Wiggs good, but they lose Fox again, Wiggs was the one who made the layup though
1:15:45 on the one hand it's poor transition D, otoh the Kings have great pace
0m54 Klay shakes head after he misses an open
0m40 Steph playing tough D thank goodness, forces a KH foul
0m30 Monk makes Donte pay for the top-block
0m25 Donte shaking his head, too easy
1:20:30 I should become a basketball psychologist because what is the reason for the lack of urgency off the tipoff, do we have to wait until we literally have our backs against the wall to respond, is that the demon of repeat champion or a long-time veteran squad? Remember when Steph was on the podium after Game 5 and he said all he could think about when he was dribbling the ball on that dagger foul by HB, was "don't turn the ball over, don't turn the ball over, don't turn the ball over" -- somehow you've got to remind the team of that exact thing coming out of the gate, whether that's with humor or gentle reminders or whatever, because this squad is next level so the psychology has to be next level. What are we gonna do about this next year? This is weird. That's not throwing Steve under the bus. I'm just saying there's gonna require some PhD-level basketball analysis here to solve this anomaly. It's an anomaly, but it still needs to be solved.
1:25:30 this off-season No. 1 priority is to sign Dray to an extension for his 4 years that he wants, something fair, something Wiggins-like, something where you have all the key stakeholders in the meeting (Steph, Klay). If Dray is gonna take a "discount", a la Wiggs, Klay has to as well, but let's have a meeting. Then the other thing that needs to happen is to figure out this anomaly. And I think for the regular season that means you play youngsters more. Like, create a new analytic on "urgency". If we're gonna waltz into Charlotte like it's Steph's homecoming and we don't even show up, well, I'm playing the young guys
1:32:45 how about Steph be a little bit more vocal rather than always just doing it by example, you've gotten to a point in your career where you don't need to prove anything on the court, so just say it, just say what you want us to do, we want you to yell at us. If we had a little group therapy session, I would actually say that to Steph
11m55 Keegan wide open was it Klay's man?
1:38:00 I'm done complaining, just gonna wait for our vets to wake up a la La Pirazo's suggesting to not overthink it
10m30 why even call it on Klay when Huerter got the advantage
9m45 Wiggs great 1v1 when Steph was covered well
9m24 key moment: Sabonis 4th foul bad screen on Wiggs
8m33 Steph shoulder beats Fox off dribble
8m20 Wiggs excellent hustle down low vs Sabonis
8m05 Steph mindless up-and-down
7m30 got lucky KH's missed 3 hit the rim an extra bounce, throwing off Sabonis and letting Steph TD to Klay
7m20 Steph faked out
1:44:45 THERE SHOULD BE A LOCK-IN METER EVERY GAME
6m55 Donte forgets Klay switched to HB, leaves Keegan for a dunk (this is assuming Klay being mad about it is the indication)
1:48:15 again, maybe you gotta remind guys that there's a lock-in meter and if you're not, then that should give me the free pass to play a guy who might be locked in (Moody)
6m35 Steph loses the ball no protection, but comes back with solid D, Sabonis 5th foul
1:50:15 feels like this the worst-executed game by both teams in the series, this whole era of basketball is turned upside-down
6m15 GP easily blocked by HB wow
5m30 Klay looking like Kobe fadeaway!!! ONE POSITIVE!
5m12 Donte hustle, now you can't regret not subbing Mo for DDV
4m50 KT aka Kobe!!! fake draw 2 FTs
4m30 Monk goes on a tear -- it's our POA defense yet again rearing its ugly head (vs Donte)
2:00:00 what I don't like about the defense of today's ballers:
2m40 Steph leaves Monk because it was Loon vs Fox
2m00 Steph mindless tov again
1m20 Moody hits open three, he must play more
0m55 creative out of bounds pass by Monk
0m40 Loon telegraphs an entry pass, tov -- vets have all 14 tov
0m30 Wiggs stole the roll ball, Moody playing awesome, I have him now higher than Donte on depth chart
0m03 Dray another foul makes no sense, penalty
11m45 Q4 JP takes Fox 1v1, would've like to have tiki taka first play
11m15 Steph goat 3 coming to save the day
10m35 G4 layup
10m15 Monk elite around corner
10m10 JP tov (clear non-call on Terence Davis)
10m00 give JP credit knowing that Ben Taylor missed a call and he knows it, to drive and get that call -- THAT'S ELITE
9m30 Steph another hero 3, but Fox answers, but Steph answers with a 2
8m40 Moody non-and-one finish
8m15 Andre talks to JP at the FT about something and hurries back to the bench to relay info -- ???
7m50 Steph hero 3 no good this time, no tiki
7m33 JP draws 4th team foul (could've been a palming like Monk wants)
7m25 Klay dribbles off his foot
7m20 Monk can't be stopped, another 2 FTs
7m15 Steph subbed out with 33 mins played, probably because Kerr knew the timeout was coming, Steph's back in indeed
6m15 Klay hero 3 no good
5m20 everybody standing around as Wiggs gets fouled
4m16 Dray claps at Guthrie to say finally made a good call
2:36:30 I'm all in for the long haul, these bad habits are gonna be an issue going forward, so no need to prolong the negativity from this game, Steve should just tell reporters at the podium that he's throwing this one in the trash
2:40:00 worst-case scenario it's just really about the issue of being locked in, but that also means you have to extend Draymond for the four years
2:43:00 I'm interested in learning why long-time champ vets come into a Game 6 not locked in, to me that is the most interesting puzzle to solve that I've ever seen in basketball at any level
2:50:00 I'm tired of all the throwing of Steve and JP and easy targets, so I'm trying to create something new, a safe haven here, no-urgency virus, sometimes it's too comfortable, I'm the only one on the Internet suggesting the magical solution of Steph needs to be more vocal when things get tight -- BUT THEN AGAIN, IT'S GAME 6, NOT GAME 7 AND THEY CAN STILL WIN GAME 7
3:00:00 STEVE KERR FULL PODIUM AUDIO
3:08:00 I don't think this is the end of the run because of how we played Game 5
3:09:00 I was wrong that we'd had SAC figured out from an offensive perspective in Q4 of Game 5, and I am disappointed in that but unlike Twitter my goal isn't to be right
3:09:00 LOONEY POSTGAME AUDIO
3:17:00 new theory: older players tend to want the other team to lay down, but the problem is the Kings are damned good and also they didn't have their backs against the wall, that's what you do as a veteran, you try to get away with not expending a ton of energy, and that's part of being efficient -- you try and throw haymakers and see if you can get away with it
3:40:00 we're talking about 2002 LAL-SAC G7 to get our minds off of this atrocious Game 6, Jeff Chua remembers rooting for Kobe but then eventually moving on to rooting for Steph, which says a lot on a global basis because China never got to see MJ on TV
3:48:00 tapping the well of championship DNA is taxing for a double-digit-year vet, so I think that's one of the learning points from tonight, I've actually seen it at other levels of basketball (men's traveling tournaments)
3:50:30 JABS: "we were probably drained" -- I think we MUST factor in the age (and the youth of the Kings, relatively)
3:52:00 Elijah says, like me, Bill Kennedy is the best ref -- we might see Scott Foster for G7! Again my top five: Kennedy, Eric Lewis, Ed Malloy, Tony Brothers, Scott Foster
3:53:45 strawhats100: "Warriors have to pull their best Nadal/Djokovic, we broke them, they broke us, we break them"
3:55:00 Percy wants to start Dray, Bruce wants to start Moody, I'm all good with whatever because it's the attitude and force going into the game
4:00:00 KLAY POSTGAME AUDIO
4:08:00 STEPH POSTGAME AUDIO
4:20:00 bright side: no Game 7 for the Warriors will ever be as bad as 2016 Game 7
DISCLAIMER: These are all just notes for my main workflow of YouTube videos, mostly transcribed by me shortly after the interviews and during my coverage of postgame on our livestreams (!). Sometimes I’ll just use what’s tweeted by beatwriters, as listed. The links to the tweets are not available because sometimes I don’t use the full tweet and just having a ton of tweets on this website imo isn’t aesthetically pleasing and gets away from the main goal: transferring information (not so much entertainment) to the brains of DubNation asap.
• Stephen Curry postgame on not having the energy level: “We didn’t execute… idk how it looked on the court… how tough a close out game is and they’re gonna play with a lot of desperation. We just had a lot of mental errors… don’t know if that’s an energy or focus thing… we have to be the team that’s playing with desperation on the road in Game 7… we have a lot of belief… if it is an energy thing that’s something that you can control… embrace the challenge…”
• On how concerned the keys weren’t there: “A loss exposes a lot of things. You go look at the film… you gotta be honest with yourself… we were all on the same page yesterday… just didn’t do it… not concerned at all, just the playoffs presents a lot of challenges… the great teams figure it out. That’s the opportunity that sits front of us… we allowed ourselves at least that… the get-right game… utmost faith.”
• On the Kings going small: “They made some nice adjustments… Fox, Monk, give them space… Keegan got loose early. Huerter got hot late… they pushed those buttons and it worked. You assume… it’s gonna be a similar vibe… you see a little bit of everything. That’s why there’s seven games.”
• On any extra fatigue with the turnaround: “Everybody individually felt great… play with our brains at the same time… not turn the ball over… connect the game a little bit better… whatever was lacking first play of the second half… that’s not pacing, that’s just being connected.”
• On what he would say to Poole: “We need him and he’s more than capable… the biggest thing for all of us is the next-play mentally… don’t be a victim of the last game… growing pains of a playoff experience. We all can play better and we all gotta play better.”
On Houston 2018 Game 7: “Yes and no… every possession is important… think your way through the game… stay locked in on the schemes… competitive spirit. You don’t have to overthink it, either. It’s just basketball… a sense of composure… crowd… stay locked in and composed, but it’s just basketball. Just play.”
• On Monk being the energy guy: “He’s been an X-factor in their wins. When we’ve contained him we’ve come out with the win… lock in on his energy… too many open looks… featured.”
• On his three free throws: “Oh, it happens… nah, it’s basketball and, again, next-play mentally, something I’ve lived by since my days at Davidson… maintain the confidence in your abilities.”
• On if he’ll say anything to the guys: “For sure. But that’s to be expected knowing what’s at stake… make sure everybody’s on the same page… fun 36 hours… mentally, vocally… gotta get our rest…”
• On getting off on the right foot: “Whoever our starting five is, it’s on us to set the tone… accept the responsibility… sense of desperation but also a sense of composure… don’t wanna get too riled up… identity, if we can find that I like our chances, and that’s all you can think about… it’s gonna be fun, embrace it… still got an opportunity to get out of the series.”
• Klay Thompson postgame Game 6 on the level of disappointment: “Um, well, when I said that Game 5 was the best win of the season… this was probably the worst loss of the season. There’s no time to hang our heads… I wasn’t very good tonight, 3 turnovers, minus-28… but we are up for it and I know we will respond.”
• On being ready for the level of aggression by the Kings: “I don’t think so, we let them get out to an 8-0 lead… miscommunication… they beat us up on the boards so it’s up to us to go to Sacramento and do everything we did tonight and do the opposite. I just know we will respond… like the champs we are.”
• On what he tells Poole: “We’ve all been there. I’ve had terrible slumps during the playoffs, Olympics… Jordan is only 23… we lose as a team… it wasn’t all on just JP tonight. He could come out and get 30… he helped us win a championship… up to us to come in with the right mindset on Sunday and empty the clip.”
• On if the game time had an effect: “…we’re human. We’ve had plenty of bad losses on this dynastic run… but this is not the fourth (loss)… you cherish moments like the one we have coming up as far as a Game 7.”
• On Moody: “…his energy, his rebounding, his defense… he’ll make big contributions going forward… that’s what you ask of a young player, just be ready.”
• On the Kings’ small ball: “Based on the twenty-point loss I think there is a safe answer of yes… we’ll make the necessary adjustments on Sunday.”
• On 2018 Game 7: “I remember is was just a gutsy performance by Kevin, Steph, Draymond. Nick Young had a big bucket… they wanted to see their team reach the finals for the first time since ‘95… we expect to come out on top.”
• On if he ever thinks of how hard it will be to keep the core together: “Nah, that’s not my job to speculate.”
• Kevon Looney on what went wrong: “…didn’t play smart, didn’t execute our game plan… getting back in transition, box-outs, turnovers.”
• On if they were caught off guard: “we felt ready… we didn’t play smart… playing hard… right intention… (didn’t have) focus throughout the whole game.”
• On how surprised he was about not playing smart: “It’s a little surprising but they’re a good team… luckily we got one more chance… go back to their house.”
• On the Kings’ small lineup: “Kind of a new lineup that we haven’t seen… guard the pick and roll… watch film…”
• On what the message to Poole was: “We just want him to be himself… support him, keep playing hard… he’s mentally tough.”
• On handling foul calls, managing the frustration: “…pretty good job. Today some of the tempers flared a little bit… we’ve been pretty locked in… not putting them on the free throw line…”
• On the Game 7 quick turnaround: “we’re gonna watch a lot of film… ain’t too much you can do. We played this team six times already… execute and that’s it.”
• Steve Kerr postgame Game 6, on the energy level from the start: “The Kings were the aggressor… we didn’t execute… 4 or 5 plays… took quick shots or didn’t pass to the open guy… at halftime we had 8 assists… they earned the victory.”
• On the Kings going smaller: “they had momentum already… our being in a rush… didn’t feel great (even after Q1)… they were getting better shots… great adjustment by Mike to go small… more space… 17 threes, I don’t think they’ve made that many in the series… that was their big move tonight.”
• On Poole’s struggles: “Jordan never really got going… frustrated… poor night for all of us, including me. We always say we win together, we lose together… the Kings… deserved the win.”
• On the disappointment level: “Everybody’s down… we’ve won a Game 7 on the road before… fill up the cup and get our energy ready for Sunday afternoon.”
• On what was wrong with locking in: “I talked before the game there’s a different energy to every game… I talked to the team I would expect a different Sacramento team… looser… be ready, these guys are coming after us. They just outplayed us. This is the NBA… they came in and won the game.”
• On if there’s a concern there’s less than 48 hours before Game 7: “…none of that matters. The only thing that matters is going out there and doing it… make sure that we’re the team that has that on Sunday.”
• On Monk and Fox: “That was part of their strategy going small… we didn’t respond very well. Our defense was not very sound. We’ll watch the tape.”
• On if Draymond’s foul trouble was an issue: “I felt good going into halftime down 7… make an impact in the second half. We withstood his foul trouble… but never found a rhythm.”
• On not taking care of the ball and rebounding: “Well, that’s the series… they earned that with their defense and we did not execute… we paid the price.”
• Mike Brown pregame Game 6: “We’re ready. We’re confident. Our guys are excited about tonight… looking forward to the challenge.”
• On the roller coaster ride and the psychology: “We got beat pretty handily in Game 3… bounced back in Game 4… not playing against any slouches… our guys they don’t seem rattle or out of place at all.”
• On what they can live with: “…as long as you can look at one of your teammates in the eye and say hey I left everything I had… backdoors… breaks your spirit… gave up too many of them in Game 5.”
• On if it’s different for them with Draymond off the bench: “I don’t think so because he starts the second half… outcome was the same, they won. It’s more for their team… psychology of their team… we’ve never felt like we’ve won or lost the game in the first five minutes.”
• On Huerter having a shorter leash: “Last couple of games he has a shorter leash… Klay got going a little bit… in order to play Davion… we’re not gonna sit Fox.”
• On the psychology of an elimination game: “…you just gotta get one game but hey everybody’s human… I feel like they’re all confident… (not) any different than they were in Game 3… I’ve been through so many of these… pretty good at staying even-keeled… look each other in the eye and say we left it all on the floor.”
• On Fox grabbing his finger in the fourth quarter of Game 5: “…he’s on an elite level… he’s elevated our team even in adverse situations… I’m gonna keep coaching his behind… he could go 1-for-30 for all I care… (the index finger) was bothering him… it’s gonna get hit… he’s been good.”
• On if he’ll give a Deion Sanders pregame speech: “he speaks way better than me… might get me up to go play for the Buffaloes… I’ve got (one)… but it’s not not gonna be near as fiery…”
• On what he’ll tell the guys: “Keep shooting… they gotta feel that I’m really confident in them… I’ll rock with them… other areas… defense and rebounding… they’ve been doing it for a while…”
• On Sabonis: “wish I could’ve gone to him earlier in Game 5… if they play off you like that, shoot it… if you miss three in a row idc because he’s our guy… if he goes 1-for-10 so be it… give them credit… when he touches it down there… he has three or four bodies… slapping at the ball.”
• On shot selection, Keegan Murray: “…when I was younger I was a little bit more… analytical when it came to shot selection… I should’ve let Zydrunas Ilgauskus… Andrew Bynum… go ahead and space… those guys shot it and shot it… everybody’s human… need to have the belief and/or confidence working with you or above you believe in you… when truly believe that’s when they become elite.”
• On if it makes sense to make a significant change: “…keep trying to find ways to get a win… continue to make adjustments… some people might think it’s drastic… some people might not pick up on it at all.”
• Steve Kerr pregame Game 6 on if they have more pressure on them due to being up: “yeah… bit of an emotional shift… what’s next, there’s a lot of factors. The main thing is… you just have to lock in and focus… on the game plan. Do the things that have helped you win the last three games… crowd will help us… aware of Sacramento’s force.”
• On Draymond having a feel for the game before he comes in: “did a great job of attacking last game, seeing the lanes to the hoop, so that is accurate. Draymond’s also a student of the game… lots of Hall of Famers have come off the bench… Manu Ginobili… John Havlicek… players of Draymond’s magnitude, they understand that… there’s a lot that goes into winning and he has that awareness of what that means.”
• On the experience gap, Mike Brown talking about the long haul: “I wouldn’t comment on their team… every playoff experience you have, it helps when you have the next one. It’s all part of the process for a young team.”
• On Gary Payton II giving his diploma to his mom, it being hard to do while playing in the NBA: “Yeah, I didn’t know that… we have a lot of guys who are really committed to the game… to themselves… do things in the community and try to impact the Bay Area… grow and evolve as people.”
• On the Kings not shooting well and what the Warriors might be doing: “that’s what the playoffs are about… what makes a team tick… disrupt… every team’s different… maybe you try to take away a certain player, a certain action… game plan that inevitably changes… constantly trying to disrupt.”
• On if he can tell when Klay is about to get hot: “Yeah you can always feel when Steph and Llay are getting hot… so consistent during this season… rock solid… two-way play, shooting the ball well and defending.”
• On if he’s able to watch as a coach or a fan the other playoff games: “if I see something that I like I might file it away… we all kinda steal from each other… also really interested as a fan… highest level of basketball in the world.”
• On the emotional roller coaster of a series: “understanding those swings… nobody panicked when we were down 2-0… great opportunity tonight but you don’t take anything for granted.”
• On where Steph and Klay are all-time: “I don’t really spend time thinking about that… maybe when I’m retired I’ll rank them… really lucky to coach them.”
• On if sometimes he’s amazed by Fox’s shot-making; “I have noticed a couple of those shots but I have not enjoyed them whatsoever (laughter)… pace of the game, the shot selection is so different even when I started coaching here (in 2015)… Trae Young… how talented they are… my coaches all would’ve thought we were insance… it’s a new world… one of the appealing things about watching NBA basketball.”
• On his reaction to Eric Nehm’s question to Giannis last night on if the season was a failure for the Bucks: “My reaction was just how lucky we are to have Giannis… he’s so right… it just can’t be a zero sum game… I watch our guys every day, these guys work so hard… embarrassment or shame, why should anybody on Milwaukee be embarrassed or shamed… Miami is a helluva team… Spoelstra… one versus eight, these are the greatest players on Earth… Giannis… talking some sense into people… really difficult job for these players… spotlight and being judged… ESPN this morning… Bickerstaff’s job safe… I’m like, oh really?… think about where the Cavs were two years ago… mind-boggling but it is the world we live in.”
Warriors-Kings Game 5 bts: Steph Curry and-1 v Barnes; Klay paper airplane; Draymond; Monk 🗣️ Poole
PICTURE GALLERIES FROM GAME 5
Hhh
0:00 JP starting again (I'm surprised), can we take care of the ball and rebound? Been our Achilles all year
8:00 referees: Tony Brothers is solid, Lindsay and Ford are okay (it's always Draymond, someone on Twitter got all outraged that Tim Kawakami tweeted out the refs and it prevented this Internet random from learning why it's important to know who the refs are before every Warriors game so long as... [insert name here] is a Warrior) -- DRAYMOND, Tony Brothers has a wide line, the problem is that the last time Brothers reffed a Warriors game, he was missing some calls; there's still not the most perfect ref out there
11:00 the intensity and desperation is connected to taking care of the ball and rebounding
13:38 Looney wins another tip!
11m50 no action, good D or both?
11m30 94 feet by Keegan inexcusable
11m10 Wiggs travel on the 2, not enough hard cuts imo
10m40 no one moving Wiggs misses, Keegan scores within 5 secs again
10m05 at least Wiggs got in front of Keegan 94 feet that time
9m40 JP saves the day side step 3
8m50 Klay heat-check 3
8m40 Klay hard cut finally, assist Steph vs top block
7m40 Steph making something happen, Wiggs layup
7m20 Klay physicality this time no call, JP to Loon to Wiggs tiki
6m40 Steph mindless tov
21:30 Coach McKillop is somewhere in Charlotte tearing his hair out rn
23:00 the funny thing about Steph is he can get better
24:00 Hil Milo Snowball: "with an all time great, you take the little bad with all the greatnesd..." -- you wonder what the warts were for Kobe and MJ and Tim Duncan
6m15 Dray 1v1 vs Sabonis nice runner
6m00 Keegan 3, Klay bad body language
5m40 Davion wide wide open, Moody out there, but JP shrugs leading me to think it's his man
5m05 excellent non-charge call by Brothers
4m20 Wiggs missed layup, should've gone reverse lefty, Steph had come out, now you gotta put him back in after the timeout
30:00 in the span of two game minutes, see notes above, you have: Klay bad body language, Davion was wide open for 3, missed a FT, missed a layup, just little things adding up -- not the right energy, however, I'm not as pissed as the beginning
32:00 BAD TRANSITION DEFENSE ON A MISSED FT! Dray had to switch off Sabonis, which created a mismatch vs Moody, and JP bit on the double, left Lyles wide open
4m00 tic tac toe Wiggs dunk via Steph Dray PNR
3m10 Steph banks in a 3 down 10
3m00 Sabonis charge DPOY
34:00 we're neutralizing Sabonis as a team, it's not just Loon 48 mins
2m40 Dray euro vs Sabonis
2m05 Loon for Mo, starters with Donte, leads to tiki
36:45 pace today not as much as G4 even though there's plenty of scoring
1m10 Klay "third" tov
0m45 Dray scores inside again now 3/4
0m18 Dray excellent team rebound
0m06.2 Steph 3 over Len
40:45 SAC 8/12 on 3s and we're only down 3
41:15 Blasian: "All I gotta say about the Kings…their future looks bright and you gotta credit their energy and continue to respond if you’re the Warriors" -- we always gotta endure our own "self-inflicted wounds" (is what Steph called it on the podium after G4)
11m25 Klay 4th caused tov
10m57 Steph no call, turned the corner on the PNR
10m40 Steph x Dray dumb tov
10m10 not worried when Dray talks to Brothers (3rd team foul already)
9m00 Steph PNR vs Len fade, MJ-like
8m40 Steph 3 vs Fox heat-check but made last two Js
8m30 Fox misses 3 but gets rebound past Steph putback good, might be tired? Timeout!
52:15 I think it's a function of not having our backs against wall, it's just been the same vibe all season, the eye of the tiger type thing, not a desperation situation but you wonder if that's the case with all Game 5s tied at 2-2?
8m00 we keep getting stuck in late clocks
7m15 JP downhill and-1
6m55 KH turned the corner on JP
6m25 GP steals from Sabonis (that's the Gary I know!), Wiggs 3
5m20 Loon should've been called for defensive 3, but how did Wiggs get stuck on Sabonis?, Steph to sneak in a rest, Klay in
5m00 Klay vs Sabonis, jab step fouled, Klay with the contortion 3
4m00 Klay toys with Huerter, hits a deep 3 vs Keegan as KH peels away
1:05:00 will Kuminga play?
3m15 Klay 3 over Sabonis after two picks
2m50 JP stuck with it, laser assist to Dray, and-one, makes the phone call reference for the ref, Steph comes in for him, sacrifice!
2:25 Eric Housen can't believe the bad screen call on Steph
2m00 Steph hit hard by Monk
1m53 Vivek with the arms folded looks like Lacob, the owner look!
1m40 Monk steps out of bounds, karma!
1m30 Klay 5th tov, 3rd personal, I saw the replay on Klay, didn't look like Monk did anything but maybe it was the previous play(s)
1m00 Loon saves the day oreb
0m10 Donte lost his balance after Fox lost the ball, so it wasn't really a dumb foul by Donte vs Fox
10m45 Klay jumper baseline after fake 3 very Kobe like, Wiggs and JP dive for the ball
9m15 Klay scores again, this time on baseline inbound thanks to Loon
8m45 Fox says "call the effing foul, man"
8m10 Klay body foul on Fox, Dray comes in, Klay doing great on shooting but every other facet is subpar
8m00 JP awesome fake on tiki
7m40 Wiggs executes tiki, game plan vs Sabonis next possession he falls into it
7m20 JP downhill vs KH
1:42:00 SC: "That offense 🔥" -- BEEN WAITING FOR THIS TIKI-TAKA
1:42:15 Bruce: "when Curry gets hot from 3, the game is over. Team ball should be the way right now"
1:42:45 Prince Rudy: "kings can't guard Jordan Poole 😂"
1:43:00 Earsknott: "JP looking like the flash out there"
7m05 good ATO by Brown to iso Wiggs vs HB, 3rd foul
6m50 JP saved Dray's tov, but they tov and Steph scores via JP 94 away
6m00 golden opportunities with tov and misses by SAC, we should be up by double-digits, oh well
1:48:45 I reminisce about watching Dark Night 2x in a row during Summer League, with Flash movie coming up, we were talking JP and that made me think of the Flash movie
5m30 Wiggs 4th pf 1v1 HB after GP tiki
5m05 Donte dunk nice cut
4m40 Dray attacks Sab with the left, 4th pf
3m35 tiki on point today
3m20 JP to Steph textbook fastbreak
2m52 Steph-Klay sub pattern (HB helping SAC cause drawing fouls)
2m45 Dray another and-1, executing tiki, missed FT though
1:56:30 ARE WE FIGURING THEM OUT ON OFFENSE? Just need the defense to come along -- WE ARE RIGHT THERE I CAN FEEL IT
1:58:45 someone called JP "dumb" for that shot selection but I tell them to use IRL words, that saying that IRL could cause a fight
1m50 Loon tiny push in the back
1m38 Loon causes a bad pass by Fox on the switch with Dray, Len fouls
1m25 we haven't figured out Monk, though
1m10 Klay 3 via Loon pick, feels like we're figuring them out
0m45 thank goodness no call on Wiggs even though Monk had him faked out
0m40 Dray corner 3, feels like we're scoring at will
0m02 Fox lands on Dray, so that's a foul, Brothers has to calm him down, that's why I like Brothers, my Dream League refs used to do the same thing
2:05:15 we just snatched the possession from them, 73-70
2:05:45 that's what makes a seven-game series so compelling with basketball, whoever invented the 7-game series, it is so perfect for basketball, that feeling of Kang the He Who Remains feeling that control because at the end of Loki, even though he died, he had scripted everything
11m40 Klay can't believe he missed a wide-open J as Keegan got hit on the wrist
11m30 love the way GP gets around a screen (but they get a dunk later)
10m40 tiki GP2 dunk
10m30 Loon 20 rebounds with 10 mins to go
10m10 Wiggs vs Sab on Fox miss
9m50 GP taps in Klay's bad shot (he wanted a dagger)
9m35 Klay great foundation vs HB in the post, GP jump ball vs Sab, GP dives!!!
9m10 Steph G4 layup, scoring everytime down
2:16:30 if we win this Game, Brown should start Monk instead of Keegan
8m35 Monk getting downhill gave him the benefit of the doubt, why is Monk having his way down the lane, who's guarding him? A luxury to have Donte be able to come in for Klay (5 fouls)
8m10 Wiggs swats Monk, he can recover like no other -- RHYMES!!!
7m45 more tiki-taka, tap by GP2, X-factor
2:19:15 we're scoring every time down except when we throw the ball away and right when I say that, Dray throws the ball away 7m20
7m15 if this tov and take foul by Dray comes back to haunt us...
6m40 Steph crazy 3 as Sab falls down, before that Dray misses layup 94, only up 4
6m34 J-Mike comes over to get Dray away from Brothers
2:22:45 good job by J-Mike
2:24:45 credit the Kings for hanging in there, they could be the team to beat in five years, I just can't find myself as a former coach blaming the refs when we're just throwing the ball to the other team
2:26:00 Dray got hit in the head but Brothers will miss some of those, he's good at rapport though
6m30 Dray takes a charge on Monk
5m30 Steph G4 layup goat
4m40 huge block by Dray vs Fox (after Wiggs layup)
4m30 Loon one hand oreb vs Sab
4m20 Dray throws the ball away again
2:31:00 teams that throw the ball to the other team lose in AAU, they lose in men's leagues, they lose in NCAA, they lose in FIBA, they lose in BAL
4m00 Klay doesn't move! But Dray scored on a fade
3m35 DPOY steal, having trouble putting O with D
3m20 Klay fade 3 over Sab
3m10 Wiggs vs Fox tov DPOY steal
2m50 Klay airball, should've done standard fly by, must be leprechauns in the court
2m15 another GOAT layup
1m58 Wiggs great rebound
1m45 Steph misses a dagger
1m15 Loon charge vs HB
1m05 another great reb by Wiggs
0m49 Maple Jordan
0m42 Fox early 3 no good
0m25 great spacing by Dray to eventually let Steph bamboozle HB for and-one, did he palm the ball? Early palm in the lane might be on L2M
2:48:13 REAL KINGS HAVE RINGS: 'Agostino Vlog someone find Trendy Trent Fuller or his dad Delly on Instagram, I can't find his account!
2:58:45 "got the old Dray tonight", but the offense is so different these days
3:03:15 Blasian: Kent Bazemore was dancing with Steph in the tunnel
3:05:00 Dean comes on: JP had 6 assists, 0 tov
POSTGAME AUDIO (STEPH, STEVE, LOON, DRAY, KLAY)
4:10:00 STEPH PODIUM AUDIO
4:19:00 Dean: "the team that swarms more, wins more"
4:26:30 Cholo: "because they've found out this is not their echo chamber", this is Dean Chambers!
4:29:00 on Harrison Barnes, Dray popping into his 2015 Media Day session and saying HB should've taken the extension, we think HB made a mistake for not inviting Dray because HB got paid by the Mavs and could've stayed at the lower salary, but also HB's a competitor
4:40:00 Dean: "the backpack really helps his fadeaway"
5:19:00 Dean on a lot of MVPs getting eliminated but also having a lot of up-and-coming stars too
5:21:00 feels like Donte has been on this team since 2020
5:40:30 Kings have No. 6 retired already for the Sixth Man
5:43:00 Dean makes a prediction: Draymond wins Sixth Man
5:44:45 my theory on why Draymond shoots like he has a backpack is related to his palming a lot of the ball when he catches it, Dean thinks it has to do with his long arms, which might mean it's pretty efficient form for a long-armed guy (?)
5:48:00 Dray has stopped shooting straight-on threes and gone to more corner 3s
5:59:00 De'Aaron Fox postgame says his finger is fine, credits the Warriors defense for his 0 points, which leads us to GP2, hardly ever offensive disruption
• Stephen Curry postgame on a familiar feeling of a big road game (28 consecutive times in playoffs): “One of the best feelings in basketball… feeling out a way to win in a hostile environment… especially being a lower seed… add on the layer of how we’ve been on the road in the regular season…. You could feel the sense of accomplishment from everybody… got work to do… we needed this one… snatch momentum back.”
• On Draymond: “He was awesome accepting his role… still plays 32 minutes… the way that they’re guarding us is huge… he knew right away those lanes would be there… fadeaway, we’ve seen it before… works on it… a flow to it. The game said shoot so he knocked it down… whenever the statues are coming that might be the new pose.”
• On Looney and unappreciated art of rebounding, Nate Thurmond and Wilt 20+ rebounds 2x: “names are in the rafters… special player he is… expectation of how he impacts games at this stage of the playoffs and how important that skill set is. Idk how he does it… knack for knowing where to be… attitude that every ball that comes off the rim is his… Game 6 of the Memphis series… Loon-ajuwon or whatever they called it.”
• On closing out with Draymond and Klay cherishing it for so long (on their podium): “each one of us has gone through a lot to try and sustain our level… our expectation of trying to win championships… reminder of how hard it is to win at this level… doing something that is very unique… could change at any point… still out there and still creating results is really dope.”
• Klay Thompson postgame on 28 consecutive series winning at least one road game in a playoff series, how conscious they are about that, the experience: “I had no idea that was a thing… continue this trend… they have a great crowd… we’ve played in the most pressurized moments… rely on our experience during nights like this.”
• Draymond Green on what Looney has become to this team: “like an Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston… calming force… those two guys in particular… Klay go haywire, Steph go haywire… allows everyone else to focus on what they need to focus on… playmaking has taken another step… ultimate trust in… defensive end, you know if you get beat he’s gonna be there… I’m so much more comfortable… he doesn’t miss any assignment.”
• On this being a different team: “We’ve really grown together. Every year… that team has to grow together. This year took a little bit longer… trust to make the right plays… it’s starting to go well for us.”
• On the fadeaway: “It’s been a minute… had the same shot in Game 2 but I missed it, I thought it was money.”
• On his scoring 21 points: “In Game 4, I was extremely aggressive… just missed layups… six layups… I knew where my spots would be… luxury coming off the bench… insert yourself into that need or see something that’s working… pick up the flow of the game… last two days I’ve been in the gym every day working on those things, exactly where those shots are coming from… make the defense pay.”
• On bringing force off the bench: “anything you can provide off the bench is a luxury… adding a bonus to the team… stay aggressive.”
• On Fox not scoring in the fourth and his finger: “I don’t think he was conscious of his finger… still got 25 shots… we were able to affect some of them… total team effort… not one guy that’s just gonna stop De’Aaron Fox… a little success tonight but he’s not stopping…. Clutch Player of the Year.”
• Before next question for Klay: “Klay is loving that y’all got him just sitting here.”
• Klay Thompson postgame on how they finally won: “probably at least six dozen times… being whole again… when we know what the stakes are, we’re competitors… how difficult it is to win in this building and it just took a different level of focus… when the clock strikes midnight it’s a new day… don’t really wanna come back.”
• Draymond Green postgame on if he relishes being the villain: “I just go be myself. I don’t go chasing being a villain… no fun… but I’m also never ducking any smoke… player, fan or a fan base… take the good with the bad… great to play in Game 4… super-special. On the flip side of that… appreciate the other side as well… not being front runners… (cant) come out here and fold…. These fans would be at me…. I barely heard them… focused… didn’t give them any of my energy tonight… majority of the game I didn’t hear them.”
• Kevon Looney postgame on feeling like we got this: “Nah, not really… keep going, don’t get too excited… this year we also had some games… we gave the game away, and this a team that can score really quick… stick to the game plan.”
• On rebounding and being in a good groove: “especially when Draymond’s not starting, I gotta set the tone… keep the possession game even, got a really good chance of winning.”
• On who started the Draymond Nowitzki: “probably was Steph… first thing in the locker room that’s what he said.”
• On if Draymond reminded him of 2016: “I came in as a rookie… (Draymond) averaged… almost a double-double… team changed, his role changed… always fun to see.”
• On his chemistry with Draymond: “We depend on each other a lot… backside of the defense… communicate… always hear talking, yelling and screaming… how to play in the pocket… knowing when to dive… playing in a tandem.”
• On closing out: “Draymond got a bunch of steals down the stretch… that’s the calling card of our team… making big plays.”
• On Draymond scoring: “Nothing he does really surprises me… he usually shows up in big games and big moments.”
• On his teammates appreciating him: “They let me know all the time… always give me a lot of praise… put my body on the line… show me a lot of love.”
• On the playoff experience: “we’ve been leaning on it a lot… getting better each game, learning and growing as a team… experience in closing teams out.”
• Steve Kerr postgame: “good job… staying poised… plays down the stretch to seal the win.”
• On Draymond: “they were calling him Draymond Nowitzki after the fadeaway… when Sacramento played really good defense, those guys knocked down shots.”
• On the late timeout and sticking with the vets: “We were gonna ride our guys, best two-way lineup… Loon… offensive rebounding and defense… both Dray and Loon are so good setting screens.”
• On if he’s seen Draymond on tape needing to score: “We’ve talked about it throughout the series that our bigs need to score the way Sacramento is playing us.”
• On the team being different than before tonight: “With a healthy group we can put two-way lineups out there… having Gary back… Wiggs… you can see, we’re a different team now.”
• On Looney: “all the stuff that coaches love… looking to throw the ball back out… never turns the ball over… seven assists tonight so we can run the offense through him… defense… championship player.”
• More Steve Kerr postgame with Kerith Burke, on Draymond attacking: “It’s dramatically helpful… when Draymond scores more than 15 points we usually win… the way they’re guarding us… stretching.”
• On if Draymond’s statue will be like Dirk: “I hope not… multiple help situations, long rebounds, steals. We kept getting stops… Draymond was in the thick of it.”
• On growing through a series: “We understand the nature of a seven-game series… you have to grow… we didn’t rebound and turned the ball over… keep the possessions even, we usually win… it’s not done yet though.”
• On if he’s excited about Game 6: “I’m looking forward to a beer right now.”
• Stephen Curry postgame on-court on how they closed: “It was all defense. On the road it was our struggle all year… feel the intensity in the building… Draymond’s attacking… Loon 22 rebounds… our offense wasn’t high powered but it was decisive… connecting the game… overcome the history of the regular season on the road finally.”
• On the probing and-one late: “past that first line of defense you just gotta see where Sabonis is… negate their pressure… literally all I could think about was don’t turn it over, don’t turn it over, don’t turn it over.”
• On Looney’s offensive rebounds: “It’s a luxury to have. Idk if his hands have magnets connected to the ball… second 20-rebound game… gives us such good momentum.”
• On the timeout huddles with Monk getting downhill: “withstand… we just had to keep our composure. There wasn’t actual conversation on the bench… not really worry about the crowd noise… you look up you still have the lead and on the road that’s what you want.”
• On playing the whole fourth at 35 years old: “That’s built on years and years and years of work… Brandon Payne… cycle of off-season work that you put in… sustain that level of cardio… (says YESSIR to Draymond).”
• Steve Kerr pregame Game 5, on how important it is: “Every game is important… none of that matters to us… narrative… broadcasts… throw on all the stats, whoever wins Game 5… none of that matters to us, the only thing that matters is taking care of the ball and rebounding.”
• On being impressed with Fox wanting to play: “It sends a big message… physical toughness… mental… trickles down… people forget that Keegan got banged up… I’m sure he looked at Domas… tape it up.”
• On if he’ll use another timeout to challenge that late: “I felt good about the challenge… you get it back… looking back if it’s a charge, block or an illegal screen… they’re not gonna overturn that… probably a poor decision based on the nature of the call, what’s likely to be overturned.”
• On when to rest Steph: “It’s on my mind… be great to get him five minutes each half… not as worried about — Draymond and Loon (are okay)… Klay… Wiggs can play heavy minutes.”
• On Keegan Murray: “…we let him get free a couple times knowing he’s a priority… offensive rebound… he played well, but that’s kind of what you expect. I’m sure Huerter will have a good game… or maybe three straight good games… you have to take care of the basics… didn’t take care of the basics with Murray.”
• On possibly having over-confidence such as Draymond talking to Bob: “Idk. I wish I had a better answer for you… I don’t think they’re over-confident… that one was more a team-wide failure, me not letting the guys know… Draymond talked about it… it’s a game of mistakes, you just try to limit them.
• On GP2: “He’s good to go.”
• On Wiggins: “Pretty remarkable.”
• On if he talked to his players abo it starting Draymond in the second half: “No. There was a halftime adjustment… tell them what you’re gonna do… move forward… next day at practice… that’s where you have those conversations… rest of my career, no more sharing (my starting five).”
• On his strategy for challenges: “More of a general rule… are you taking away a three-point shot?… versus are you just take away one possession… jump ball type thing but three points is three points… in the first quarter.”
• On being surprised Fox will go: “No… we fully expected him to play… preparation has been the same… he’s a gamer… tough to keep these guys out of a playoff game… dreamt of… our players would’ve been the same way.”
• Mike Brown pregame Game 5 on being able to go home and get away: “for a couple of Harleys… jumped on… even rode it into the coaches’ meeting.. Rho, I like you better than the Harley. That was a trick question.”
• On Huerter saying guys have found a way to step up: “They’re competitors and resilient. We just find a way… not about this guy or that guy or… been an All-Star his whole career… these guys aren’t laying over for the champions… swinging haymakers… all those instances could’ve broken our competitive spirit.”
• On what to look for from De’Aaron Fox on his injury: “he’s been our guy… you’ve done a lot for us but I’m gonna keep asking for more… next guy has to be ready… I want him to play his game…. Be aggressive.”
• On responding to Klay’s buzzer-beater at the end of Q3 in Game 4: “…we weren’t playing the way we were capable of… in the fourth… you can’t gap Klay, you can’t gap Steph… lock in for 48… made way too many mistakes in the fourth quarter on their floor… and I’m sure they feel the same way… also the things that you did well, you say see?… stay with it, stay with it, stay with it.”
• Luke Loucks, Robbie Lemons… what they do is above my mind… analytic stat that we’re generating the most open threes on a per-game basis in the playoffs… we’re going against the NBA champions… continuing it letting it fly… we don’t have a lot of guys that have been in key positions and have advanced… past the first round… and been a big-time contributor… we’re not gonna get the same shots in the regular season… mess with your rhythm… once they get in the playoff series… amp that up… physically you’re busting your behind… mental focus… can’t afford to have game plan slippage (Ramona Shelburne accidentally flips a light switch, jokes ensue)… that’s why I tell our guys just let it fly… gaining invaluable experience… while winning
• On if there’s a letdown at home: “We’re trying to win every time we step on the floor…”
• On having poise: “We also talked about winning the possession game… Golden State shot 40% from the floor… have to be physical… play with great pace… in the halfcourt too…
• On adjusting to Draymond on Fox: “they’ve taken away our DHOs… try to find ways to play our DHO game… we’re okay with Draymond guarding Fox because we’re playing a lot of pick and roll… he has the green light… he knows that one is coming almost every possession… first… second… we trust him to go make a play.”
• On the increasing pressure: “The further along you goes, it heightens… if you think there’s a lot of eyes on you now, the eyes are gonna multiply 30 or 40 times… they just need to go through it… makes you want to work harder… successes so at the end of the day you have the confidence.”
👍👍💛💙