Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr addressed Sunday’s 141-127 overtime loss to the Toronto Raptors at the Chase Center.
“Just turnovers end of the third and end of the fourth. We got scattered,” Kerr said. “They turned up the pressure. We didn’t handle it well and they scored 35 points off our turnovers. That was the game.”
Kerr admitted the loss was deflating after the team had controlled most of regulation. “Yeah, it sucks. We’re on a little bit of a run, got a chance for some momentum, we control the whole game and we let it slip,” he said.
On rebounding, Kerr singled out Scottie Barnes, who recorded 25 boards for a triple-double. “Barnes obviously just dominated the boards. Whether we were big or small, it just seemed like he was getting every rebound,” Kerr said.
Kerr explained the team’s overtime lineup decisions, citing minutes restrictions and spacing concerns. “Al was done with his minutes…we went to Quinten a couple minutes in,” he said. “Trayce was fine, but we needed space with our bigs, so we stayed with Allen and QP.”
Kerr praised Quinten Post’s season-long development while acknowledging areas for growth. “He’s doing great, improved his defense dramatically. He’s a really good player, just has to keep working and playing,” Kerr said.
The Warriors coach also critiqued late-game offensive execution. “I kicked myself, tried to run a back door play where Steph was setting a back screen for Jimmy, and I put Draymond in a tough spot. That was on me,” Kerr said.
Draymond Green’s effort was highlighted despite the team’s struggles. “Draymond was great tonight. Played his tail off, great energy, great defense, did everything he could to help us win,” Kerr said.
Kerr detailed the optimal possession approach for crunch time, emphasizing spacing and ball control. “Take care of the ball, get spaced, get the ball to Jimmy or Steph, let them attack one way or the other, screen or ISO,” he said.
Buddy Hield returned to the rotation due to Al Horford’s absence, providing necessary minutes for the backcourt. “Kerr said, ‘Melton was out and we needed those minutes. Buddy was back,’” reflecting rotation adjustments for the overtime period.
The Warriors will travel to Brooklyn, while the Raptors, who overcame a five-game home losing streak, host Orlando on Monday.
