Getty Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors nearly stole a win against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night. With 3:22 remaining in regulation, they found themselves down 12 points before ripping off a quick 12-2 run to earn a chance to win the game.
The Warriors were able to get Klay Thompson a good look at a game-winning attempt from distance, with five seconds to play. Thompson’s shot bounced off of the back rim, right back to him for a second attempt. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray then came flying out to block the second shot, sealing the victory for the home squad.
Heartbreaking …
After his team’s big win, Murray broke down the final sequence with reporters, joking that he was afraid to give Thompson a second clean-look from beyond the arc.
“They ran Thompson into the screen and slipped him out and it was like a brush screen. We didn’t talk it out so he got an open three,” Murray said via the Denver Nuggets official YouTube channel. “Then I think [Kevon] Looney got the tip out. Once I saw it going to Klay I said ‘I gotta go, I gotta go,” you know, he’s not missing two in a row. So, I jumped as high as I could and got a piece of it.”
Steve Kerr Disappointed by Warriors ‘Mindless’ Play
Thompson’s head coach, Steve Kerr, praised his team’s last stitch effort in Denver, despite being unhappy with their performance as a whole.
“I love the way our guys finished the game, we gave ourselves a chance,” Kerr said via the NBA Interviews YouTube channel. “Steph [Curry] made a great pass to Klay, he back rims a 3 with a chance to win. So the guys really fought those last four minutes but from mid-second quarter until those last four minutes, we were mindless out there.”
Kerr went on to voice his frustrations with the Dubs’ play throughout the night, which ultimately lead to their downfall.
“In the second quarter, we had total control of the game and we stopped playing and we just lost our focus at both ends,” Kerr continued. “Gave up a ton of offensive rebounds, missed box outs. Offensively, had several mindless possessions in a row, throwing the ball away, a bunch of shot turnovers, just bad shots… We weren’t tough enough, not disciplined enough and ultimately didn’t deserve to win the game.”
Stephen Curry Pinpoints Warriors’ Execution After Loss to Nuggets
Much like Kerr, Curry wasn’t pleased with his team’s focus throughout the game in Denver. He called for better execution in future games, citing the playoffs as a different animal.
“So it’s just a matter of executing, being mindful of what it takes to win that particular game that night, maintain our momentum that we’ve worked hard to create in the first half, but weren’t able to do it,” he said via the NBA Interviews YouTube channel. “Still, the grit and the fight allows us to be one shot away from stealing a game we had no business being in. But we got to come to a realization like if we’re going to win or do anything in a playoff kind of scenario, a game like tonight can’t happen.”