Warriors ‘encouraged’ entering Game 5
HOUSTON (TNS) – Steve Kerr struggled shutting his eyelids. The Warriors coach tried to sleep, but how could he following the Warriors’ 95-92 Game 4 loss to Houston on Tuesday that tied the Western Conference Finals at 2-2? So Kerr tossed and turned, while questioning nearly every decision both he and his players made.
“There are some things I could’ve done a lot better,” Kerr said. “Our players feel the same way.”
Warriors guard Stephen Curry said he also questioned “everything,” including his missed game-tying shot with .5 seconds left, his 10-of28 mark from the field and the team’s 12-point fourth quarter effort. He admitted thinking the Warriors “lost a huge opportunity” in conceding home-court advantage and the series’ control to Houston. Yet, Curry said he woke up Wednesday morning thinking, “we played that badly in the fourth quarter and lost by only three points.”
Hence, Curry boarded the team plane on Wednesday morning with a smile on his face. Curry and his teammates also enter Game 5 against the Rockets today feeling both remorseful and inspired with what they face.
“Definitely guys are pissed off, but encouraged as well,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said following practice on Wednesday. “I love the way this team responds when our back is against the wall. I don’t mind our backs being against the wall because I know what we’re capable of, and I know the level of focus and intensity level this team brings when that is the case.”
Who could forget when the Warriors defeated the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2015 Western Conference semifinals after losing two of the first three games? Who could forget when the Warriors beat the Oklahoma City Thunder through seven games of the 2016 Western Conference Finals after trailing, 3-1?
Of course, the Warriors would like to forget when they squandered their own 3-1 series lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals. Yet, the Warriors refuse to believe something similar will happen against Houston. As Curry predicted, “it’s going to be a dog fight the rest of the way.”
“A couple of our guys in the locker room talk about how exciting this is. This is true playoff basketball,” Curry said. “This is what brings the best out of you. I like where we’re at. Obviously I’d like yesterday to go differently. But we’re still in good shape.”