Getty Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors.
With Sunday’s slate of NBA games wrapped up, the Golden State Warriors‘ playoff fate has been sealed. On April 15 they’ll open their first round series against the Sacramento Kings on the road at the Golden 1 Center.
Waiting for them there on the opposing bench, will be former Warriors assistant, and now Kings head coach Mike Brown.
Ahead of the “Battle for I-80,” Brown was asked if facing off against his old team in the postseason meant anything extra to him.
“Nothing. I mean it’s a short commute, that’s about it,” he replied via the Sacramento Kings YouTube channel. “I’ve still got my place down there, so I may swing down and check on that, that’s about it. It doesn’t matter who we play. Just like I’m sure with the rest of the teams, it doesn’t really matter who they play.
Reporters then asked him if there was a moment, during the two teams’ final meeting on Friday, when Warriors head coach Steve Kerr congratulated him on his team’s success.
“Yeah we’re close. We talk, not all the time, but we talk throughout the season, exchange texts, talk on the phone. So, we’ve been kind of in each other’s year throughout the course of the year, so it hadn’t been anything different than what he’s already said.”
Steve Kerr Discusses Klay Thompson’s Historic Day in Warriors Win
Kerr didn’t take any time to preview the first-round meeting with the Kings, after the Warriors coasted to a 157-101 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday. However, he did take a moment to praise Klay Thompson, who became just the third player in league history to surpass 300 made 3-pointers in a single season.
“Yeah I pulled Klay aside two minutes before the game and I said ‘I know you’re five [threes] away, but just let it happen. You don’t need to chase anything, especially early in the game. Just get off the ball and let it happen in the flow,’” Kerr said via NBC Sports Bay Area. “He’s like ‘okay, no problem coach.’ And then he made five threes in the first five minutes. So, that’s Klay. But, they were really good shots, that was the main thing. Even though he went out launching, they were great shots. It wasn’t like he was taking bad ones. It was really good for him to get that mark. I told him after the game just how proud I was of him, for what he’s been through, to go through those two devastating injuries and fight his way back, win a championship last year and then have a great season this year. A complete season, playing back-to-backs by the end of the year. It’s really a remarkable story, a testament to Klay and his fortitude and love for the game. I couldn’t be happier for Klay.”
Steve Kerr told Klay before the game not to chase the five threes needed to reach 300 on the season …
Klay hit five threes in the first five minutes 😂
Warriors’ Steve Kerr Explains Andrew Wiggins Ramp Up
Kerr also discussed the ramp-up process for Andrew Wiggins as he works his way back up to speed.
“He got some three-on-three work in yesterday and some five-on-five,” Kerr said via NBC Sports Bay Area. “So, everyday he’s progressing and he’s putting in the work. The whole thing is after a seven-week absence, there has to be a ramp-up period and that’s what he’s doing right now. It would be irresponsible for us to just throw him out there and expose him to injury. So he has to go through the process. Our performance team is putting him through that process and he’s getting a lot of good work in. The idea would be, ideally we win the game today [against Portland], and have these next five or six days to prepare, which would include some scrimmaging and getting Wiggs back into the fold with everything we’re doing scheme wise and execution wise. Then he gets another week under his belt and we reassess from there.”
Steve Kerr details the plan for Wiggs’ return to the court
The Warriors hope to add Wiggins back to the lineup for the playoffs, after a near-two-month absence from the team.