Ailing Kerr attends shootaround but not on bench for the game.
Ailing coach attends shootaround but not on bench for the game
PORTLAND, Ore. — An encouraging sign: coach Steve Kerr attended the Warriors shootaround Monday morning in Portland and felt well enough to be at the arena — though not on the sideline — for Monday night’s Game 4.
When shootaround opened to reporters, he wasn’t doing much — sitting on the sideline, chatting with trainer Chelsea Lane before exiting about 15 minutes later — but at least he was feeling well enough to leave his hotel room.
In his place, Mike Brown, the interim head coach for Game 4 on Monday night and possibly beyond, said he remained in continued contact with Kerr throughout Monday.
They game-planned at the arena in the afternoon and Kerr, in casual clothes, was seen walking into the arena chatting with Brown. So it’s clear, even while he’s out with this ailment related to a back surgery gone wrong a couple years back, Kerr will remain a key part of the team’s preparation.
“Sometimes I hate saying this about the organization, ownership, management, even Steve because it sounds so cliché or I’m making stuff up,” Brown said. “But this is really a terrific group, a terrific group of people first. They’ve helped me a ton. I didn’t feel like I had to go win them over, I just felt like I wanted to be a part of getting this done and they felt the same.”
Star forward Kevin n Durant returned to the Warriors lineup for Monday night’s Game 4, starting and not facing a firm minutes restriction.
But a pair of other rotation pieces remained out. Shaun Livingston, nursing a hand contusion, and Matt Barnes, still fighting back from a foot sprain, did not play in Game 4.
“Not ready yet,” Brown said.
A potential secondround n series for the Warriors wouldn’t begin until either Sunday or next Tuesday, giving them — if they’re able to complete the sweep of the Blazers — either five or seven days off, depending on whether the Jazz and Clippers go six or seven games.
If the Jazz and Clippers go six, it starts Sunday. If they go seven, it starts next Tuesday. They’re currently deadlocked at 22, heading back to Los Angeles for Tuesday night’s Game 5.
Cleveland Cavaliers n star forward LeBron James sent his well-wishes Kerr’s way Monday afternoon through a personal cell phone recorded video from Bleacher Report’s Uninterrupted.
“My thoughts and prayers go out to Steve Kerr, man,” James told the camera. “I’m not quite sure of the illness that he got going on, but anything that’ll keep him away from the game, I know it can’t be the best. So my thoughts and prayers from my family to Steve Kerr and his family, man. I wish you a healthy recovery. And whatever that you going through, I hope the man above continue to put his blessing on top of you and the family, man, and you pull through and get back to the sideline and just get back to just being able to be you on a day-to-day basis.”