Warriors’ Steve Kerr Has Strong Words After Fifth Straight Defeat

Getty

Head Coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors

Nothing about Sunday night was supposed to work. The Golden State Warriors arrived at Madison Square Garden missing eight players, carrying a four-game losing streak, and relying on a roster held together with 10-day contracts and rookie minutes. They built a 21-point lead anyway. They kept fighting until the final seconds. And they still lost, 110-107 to the New York Knicks, their fifth defeat in a row.

Steve Kerr had already described his squad as “about as beaten up as any team I can ever remember” before tip-off. By the time the final buzzer sounded, he had a moment on the sideline he admitted he regretted, and a locker room of players who had given him everything. His message after the game reflected both things at once.

Warriors’ Kerr Opens Up After Gutting Loss to Knicks

GettySteve Kerr, Golden State Warriors.

Kerr was asked how his players were doing after another narrow defeat. His answer was honest and warm in equal measure. “I could not ask for anything more,” he said. “These guys are so fun to coach. They’re playing so hard together. I just want them to be rewarded for their efforts. We’ve lost a few of these, but we’re going to keep fighting and keep getting better.” He added: “I’m just blown away by these guys. Just their effort, their intensity, their connection. It’s really beautiful to watch. We’re going to get rewarded for this. We’re going to stay with it and continue to get better, and we’re going to start winning some of these and get some guys healthy.”

There was a separate moment during the second quarter when Kerr was caught on camera screaming at rookie Will Richard after a turnover. “The ball matters!” Kerr shouted. “The ball is everything!” He later reflected on it. “I kind of regret losing my composure,” he said. It’s my job to keep the guys going, especially when we’re without so many players.” Richard, for his part, finished with five points and three steals, including a poster dunk on OG Anunoby in the third quarter.

Warriors’ Young Players Step Up at Madison Square Garden

GettyBrandin Podziemski of the Golden State Warriors.

With Stephen Curry missing his 17th straight game, Draymond Green out with a back issue, and Kristaps Porzingis among a long list of absentees, Golden State used their 34th different starting lineup of the season. Brandin Podziemski led the way with 25 points and six assists. Quinten Post set a career-high with 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting despite being questionable with an ankle injury before tip-off. Gui Santos added 20, including 11 in the fourth quarter as Golden State made one final push.

It was not enough. Jalen Brunson finished with 30 points and nine assists for New York, and the Warriors’ 18 turnovers proved too costly to overcome. Podziemski’s pull-up three with 24 seconds remaining, with Golden State trailing by one, did not go down. Kerr had no issue with the shot. “He looked like he was going to attack and Brunson backed up,” Kerr said. “Take the three and go for the throat.” Santos summed up the mood in the locker room simply. “We gotta keep battling,” he said. “We know when they get back, we’re gonna be good.”

Final Word for Golden State

The Warriors are 32-35, ninth in the West, half a game ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers and two behind the Los Angeles Clippers for eighth. The road trip continues Monday against the Washington Wizards, with five more games to follow across nine days.

Kerr is proud of his group. That much is genuine. But pride does not win basketball games, and Golden State is running out of runway. Whether Curry returns in time to matter, or whether the medical staff decides the smarter move is to protect him for next season, remains the biggest question hanging over the rest of this year. For now, the Warriors keep fighting. It just has not been enough.

Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins