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While hearts and minds around the world were focused on the tragedy that occurred in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors were tasked with competing in an elimination game 355 miles up I-35 in Dallas against the Mavericks just hours later.
In the end, Luka Doncic and Co. managed to extend their playoff run at least another game, capturing a 119-109 win to stave off the close-out. However, the Warriors’ second unit gave a performance for the ages during the fourth quarter.
With the Dubs trailing by a whopping 29 points entering the final frame, head coach Steve Kerr asked the five-man lineup of Jordan Poole, Damion Lee, Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga and Nemanja Bjelica to bring the blowout to its merciful end.
Instead, the motley crew went on an incredible run to cut the lead to single digits with time left to play.
At that point, Kerr had a decision to make — would he go with the horses that brought him back to the race or reinsert the starters for a final push? Ultimately, he opted for the latter move and the Warriors were unable to complete the comeback. Kerr then had to answer for his decision-making during his postgame presser.
Coach Kerr Explains His Call
When asked about the move to bring his starters back into the contest, Kerr indicated that the decision was made just after the quarter’s midpoint when it was determined that the outcome was still in doubt.
“Yeah, I mean, with about five minutes left, I think we cut it to 14 or so,” Kerr told reporters, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “And I kind of looked at the other coaches, I looked at Steph [Curry], and we just decided if it gets manageable and possible, then let’s do it… And I felt like we had a shot with, I guess, three and a half minutes left when we put Steph and [Andrew Wiggins] and Klay [Thompson] in.”
The change-up wasn’t just about getting more talent and/or experience on the court, though. Kerr also felt that his reserve crew may have given all that it could.
“I also felt like the group that had played that great run in the fourth quarter, maybe was getting a little tired there. And so just made the decision to see if we can pull off a miracle,” Kerr said. “But it wasn’t meant to be. Dallas was great tonight. They deserved to win. They executed. They played with more force.”
He added: “This is the Conference Finals. This is how it’s supposed to be, two great teams, and they handled us well tonight.”
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Youngsters Rising
Although the Warriors received contributions from all five members of their bench brigade during the comeback bid, it was an unlikely pair that led the charge. Namely, 19-year-old rookies Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.
Kuminga led the way with 10 fourth-quarter points and finished with 17 in the game while adding eight rebounds over 22 minutes of play. Moody, meanwhile, added 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting in 23 minutes of action.
After the game, Warriors star Stephen Curry couldn’t help but rave about their efforts.
“It was great because they had an opportunity to go out there and make their presence felt, impact the game, build some confidence and some experience in this series and what it feels like to be out there,” he said. “So with Otto being out, GP being out, there’s minutes available, and for us to close this series out, Game 5, I’m sure they are going to be out there playing some minutes.”
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