Getty Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr reacts during a playoff bout with the Denver Nuggets.
Despite trailing for the majority of the contest, the Golden State Warriors came devastatingly close to winning Game 4 of their series against the Nuggets on Sunday and notching the first-round sweep. In the end, though, some clutch miscues prevented them from completing the comeback.
One play, in particular, will likely haunt the Bay Area faithful for at least the next few days.
With 33.5 seconds left to play and the Warriors trailing 123-121, head coach Steve Kerr called a timeout to draw something up for his crew. Despite the additional time and effort that went into designing the perfect play, though, Golden State promptly turned the ball over, after which they allowed a game-sealing three-pointer.
In the wake of the loss, Kerr confessed that he’d like a do-over on the plan he concocted during the huddle.
Kerr Takes Responsibility for Late-Game Inbounds Fail
Rather than putting the ball into Stephen Curry’s hands and hunting for the best shot the Warriors could find, Kerr directed Otto Porter to hit Andrew Wiggins with a lob pass to the basket on the post-timeout inbounds.
Unfortunately, the Nuggets snuffed it out, and the pass left something to be desired, too. So, instead of knotting the score and ensuring themselves time for a game-winning attempt, the Warriors watched as Will Barton drained a three and put the game out of reach on the ensuing possession.
“I would like that play call back, frankly,” Kerr admitted when asked about what transpired. “You know, there’s 33 seconds, so we’re thinking a two-for-one. If we get a two-for-one then we can tie the game and have a chance to win it at the end. So, it’s a good two-for-one situation, but the lob wasn’t there.”
He added, “If I could do it over again, I’d probably draw up something different, but they made a great defensive play, and give them credit.”
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Klay’s Big Night Goes to Waste
While his team lost the game in a particularly disappointing fashion and he had some lapses on the defensive end at various points, Klay Thompson nonetheless had a night worth mentioning for the Warriors.
In 31 minutes of play, Thompson scored 32 points on 12-of-20 shooting, nailing seven triples in 11 tries and adding four rebounds and two steals. Meanwhile, the Dubs were plus-nine when he was on the court.
After the game, though, he was more concerned with his team’s ability to rebound in Game 5 and finish off the Nuggets in a timely manner than what he had just accomplished on the floor offensively.
“We’d like to have some rest before the next series and we don’t want to travel back to Denver,” he said. “So, we’ve got to come with the mindset that we have something to prove and it’s a must-win because a win by them… anything’s possible. So, we’re coming out guns blazing on Wednesday.”
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