Steve Kerr admitted Golden State was “totally outplayed” by Orlando in the second half, despite escaping with a 126-119 overtime win Saturday.
“They had 33 more field goal attempts. It’s almost impossible to win a game,” Kerr said after the Warriors improved to 7-3 with their seventh consecutive victory. “I’m proud of our guys because they gutted it out.”
Orlando erased a 16-point halftime deficit and held a 78-77 lead entering the fourth quarter. The Magic finished with 24 offensive rebounds to Golden State’s three.
“Size, athleticism, desperation,” Kerr said when asked about Orlando’s dominance on the offensive glass. “They just used their size and athleticism to crash. They had all five guys crashing.”
Kerr credited Stephen Curry’s late-game shot-making. Curry scored 41 points, including the go-ahead layup with 25.2 seconds left in regulation and a three-point play with 1:38 remaining in overtime.
“That was an impossible shot,” Kerr said of Curry’s late layup. “To put that thing off the glass, he’s one of one. I don’t know if anybody else in the world could make that shot.”
Curry’s 41 points marked his 16th 40-point game after turning 35, the most in NBA history. Kerr pointed to the 38-year-old guard’s preparation when asked about his longevity.
“Work ethic and good genes,” Kerr said. “He’s been blessed with a body that has held up, but he’s also earned that through his strength training, his conditioning, his fitness level is just off the charts.”
The Warriors coach also praised rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, who scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds, including a key three-pointer in overtime.
“Yaxel just in terms of decision making,” Kerr said when asked where the rookie has improved most. “He’s learning something new every game. Probably multiple things a game, and he’s picking it up with such poise and grace.”
Kerr said Lendeborg’s finish “looked like somebody who’s been around for a while, not a guy who’s played 10 NBA games.” He later described the rookie as fearless: “Nothing phases him.”
Brandin Podziemski also earned praise for defending Franz Wagner late in the game. “He did a great job just harassing him, forcing him into tough spots, defending him without fouling,” Kerr said.
Kerr explained why Curry and Draymond Green started overtime on the bench, crediting assistant coach Seth Cooper for the idea.
“It’s not the old days,” Kerr said. “We’ve got to make sure that we’re handling him and Dray in a good manner in terms of preserving them for the course of the season, but also we’ve got to lean into the depth that we have.”
Green finished with 13 assists, a season high, and Kerr praised his playmaking after Orlando blitzed Curry. “He’s such a good playmaker,” Kerr said. “And then of course the defense is always brilliant.”
Kerr was pleased with the team’s resilience but stressed that execution must improve. Golden State committed 18 turnovers, including 10 in the first half.
“If we want to be really good, and I think we can be, it’s our number one goal is to become a team that can execute under pressure,” Kerr said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
The Warriors host Charlotte on Monday, while Orlando visits Sacramento on Tuesday.
