Golden State head coach Steve Kerr offered detailed insights after the Warriors fell 118-111 to the Cleveland Cavaliers at Chase Center on Thursday night. He highlighted Gui Santos’ performance, saying, “Gui was great. He really battled, he made a lot of plays for us. Obviously, scoring 25 points and it looked he didn’t look quite 100%. I could see him moving a little gingerly, but he all of our guys just played really really hard.”
Kerr addressed De’Anthony Melton’s shooting struggles, noting, “He’s a little bit out of rhythm offensively. I think that’s obvious. His shots aren’t falling right now. We know what he’s capable of… his first three quarters of the season have been fantastic. So, he’s just in a little bit of a rut.”
Reflecting on Cleveland’s late-game execution, Kerr said, “Well, the first one it looked like we over rotated to start the play and they got the ball behind us and we were scrambling. BP came over to double Harden and he just came over a half second too soon… Cleveland did a great job of spreading the floor. Harden puts so much stress on your defense and his ability to get to the rim. You have to react. You have to bring help.”
Kerr clarified the Warriors’ defensive strategy against James Harden in the final moments: “Not necessarily. We wanted to stay in front of him, but when he gets past you, you’ve got to bring help.”
The coach also weighed in on the heated fourth-quarter sequence involving a flagrant and technical fouls. “It got a little heated for a bit, but our team handled it well. I think that stretch didn’t win or lose the game. Two teams playing really hard… Strus with the two threes, Harden the floater. They made big shots and they deserve credit.”
Draymond Green’s role amid injuries was another focus. Kerr remarked, “I’m really proud of him. This is not an easy position to be in. So many guys have been injured and out, and he’s really carried a heavy burden. He’s playing big minutes, his defense is still elite… Nine assists and three block shots, only a couple of turnovers.”
On the significance of Santos’ recent scoring surge, Kerr added, “He’s playing really well. He gets the ball into the paint probably better than anybody we have. His ability to make quick moves off the dribble, score or kick out, is very important. Gui’s an excellent player, man.”
The Warriors, missing Stephen Curry for the 27th straight game, received 25 points each from Santos and Brandin Podziemski, while Kristaps Porzingis added 16 points and seven rebounds. Cleveland’s victory was powered by Donovan Mitchell’s 25 points and Max Strus’ 3-pointer with 54 seconds remaining. James Harden contributed 19 points and five assists, helping the Cavaliers secure their seventh win in nine games during a five-games-in-eight-nights stretch.
Curry could return as soon as Sunday, with Kerr noting, “Rick Celebrini and I might decide as soon as Friday based on how Curry feels a day later whether he can return to face the Rockets.”
The Warriors host the Houston Rockets on Sunday, while Cleveland visits the Indiana Pacers.
