Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr lauded his team’s poise, discipline, and fight following Sunday night’s 103-89 Game 7 win over the Houston Rockets.
Speaking to reporters postgame, Kerr began by commending Houston and head coach Ime Udoka for pushing the Warriors to the brink.
“They had a great season,” Kerr said. “We were lucky to get out of this series.”
Kerr emphasized the Warriors’ execution under pressure, particularly highlighting their defense and ball security.
“That was an incredibly impressive display of resolve, discipline,” he said. “The defense was fantastic, the ball security, kind of game plan discipline followed to a tee.”
Buddy Hield’s Game 7 performance—33 points on 9-of-11 shooting from deep—drew high praise from Kerr, who never considered benching the sharpshooter despite two quiet outings in Games 5 and 6.
“I never wavered on starting Buddy,” Kerr said. “The lineup that we started tonight has been by far our best five-man unit in this series.”
Kerr added that Hield’s impact wasn’t limited to shooting.
“His defense was tremendous tonight too,” he noted. “This was not just a lights-out shooting performance—it was also a two-way performance.”
Stephen Curry, who scored 14 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, was singled out by Kerr for his leadership and composure, even before his late scoring burst.
“The whole key to the game was taking care of the ball, and he managed the game beautifully,” Kerr said. “It’s just a matter of time before his shot goes in.”
Kerr credited adjustments made in the fourth quarter, including restoring the Curry-Draymond Green pick-and-roll, which Houston had neutralized earlier in the series.
“In the fourth quarter, because of the matchups, we were able to get Draymond back in the pick-and-roll with Steph a couple times,” he explained.
Green’s leadership was another focal point of Kerr’s comments. The veteran forward addressed the team before the game and took ownership of his Game 6 mistakes.
“Draymond set the tone last night at the team meeting,” Kerr said. “He said, ‘I got to be poised, and I have to be better, and we’re going to come in here tomorrow and get it done.’”
Kerr said that emotional steadiness carried into the game and helped stabilize the group.
“Our guys—they see how much he loves it and how much he wants to contribute,” Kerr said. “When he’s right, like he was tonight, he’s an incredible player to watch.”
While he declined to discuss the upcoming matchup with Minnesota, Kerr reflected on how far Golden State had come since the trade deadline.
“When I think back to the trade deadline, where we were as a team—I’m so proud of these guys,” he said. “To put us in a position, as Steph says, to play meaningful basketball and to give ourselves a chance—that’s all you want.”
Golden State opens its Western Conference Semifinals series against the Timberwolves on Tuesday night.
