Amid the negative reactions from the majority within the Dub Nation, Steve Kerr didn’t raise his eyebrows when Jordan Poole unleashed an unexpected 28-footer that could have sent their Tuesday second-round series opener with the Los Angeles Lakers to a five-minute extension.
Kerr believes that the Golden State Warriors got a quality look for themselves via Poole’s long trey, as the Lakers went on to primarily neutralize Stephen Curry using a double-team defensive play and the hot shot sixth-man got plenty of space to operate.
“I thought Jordan did a really good job. I had the timeouts left, but I saw them double-teaming Steph at half-court so I knew somebody was going to be wide open if we could just get the ball out,” coach Kerr said in postgame following their 117-112 loss. “Steph did a great job. He got the ball out of the trap and Jordan was wide open and [had] pretty good look.
“That’s a shot he can hit so really happy with that possession.”
With 9.7 seconds left, as Golden State was down by three, Poole accepted the ball from Draymond Green, pulled up, and missed a potential game-tying dagger three to force overtime likely.
This could have been also the exclamation point of the Warriors’ fourth-quarter rally as they went on to erase Los Angeles’ 14-point edge with less than six minutes left in regulation.
Further noted by Kerr, Poole got all of the momentum to put the Warriors on a tied-ball game with the Lakers given the outburst he poured in Game 1.
After a disastrous seven-game set against the Sacramento Kings in the first round wherein he averaged 12 points in an inefficient 33.8 percent shooting, Poole retained his hot hands against L.A. and had 21 points with 6-of-11 threes.
“Jordan had hit six threes already so it’s a great shot for us,” Kerr concluded.
Poole and the Warriors will look to regroup against the Lakers as Game 2 is set on Thursday again in San Francisco.
