Steve Kerr made little effort to mask his frustration after the Golden State Warriors dropped a 123-115 road game to the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night, focusing on fourth-quarter breakdowns that swung the outcome.
“Fourth quarter, I mean, they got 39 on us,” Kerr said. “A lot of free throws… and we got killed on the glass, you know. 54-35.”
Dallas finished with 54 rebounds and lived at the line, converting 24 of 30 free throws, which Kerr said erased the benefits of Golden State’s defensive pressure earlier in the game.
“That negated the the turnovers that we forced from them,” Kerr said. “Their rebounding, their free throws, just too much.”
Despite the loss, Kerr expressed few concerns about his team’s offensive process, even on a night when shots did not consistently fall.
“I liked our offensive game,” he said. “We got a lot of great looks. It just was a night where shots weren’t going down, but we did a good job taking care of the ball and moving the ball.”
The Warriors were led by Stephen Curry, who scored 38 points while making eight three-pointers, though Kerr acknowledged the unusual nature of the final numbers.
“It’s a really weird box score,” Kerr said. “Steph has 38 points, he’s a minus-24… it didn’t feel like those guys played poorly at all.”
Golden State’s night was further complicated by the early exit of Jonathan Kuminga, who left in the first half with knee and ankle issues.
“John, I just talked to him,” Kerr said. “He said he’s going to get an MRI tomorrow… such a shame. He was playing great, and that definitely hurt as well.”
Kerr also addressed his decision to start small with Draymond Green at center, pointing to spacing and ball-handling priorities.
“Draymond’s at his best at the five,” Kerr said. “I wanted to give him the best opportunity to get off to a good start and us get Steph going early.”
Asked about Green’s overall night, Kerr was direct.
“It wasn’t his night,” he said. “He didn’t really have it going, but he’ll bounce back.”
With the Warriors navigating injuries and a tight Western Conference race, Kerr emphasized effort and competitiveness rather than urgency tied to external factors.
“Every game is important,” he said. “I love their effort tonight. Their energy on the bench was great. We’re going to keep fighting.”
Golden State fell to 25-21 with the loss, while Dallas improved to 19-26 after its fourth straight win, fueled by Naji Marshall’s 30-point performance and dominance inside.
“We’re just going to keep competing,” Kerr said. “Whatever happens happens.”
