Thornton ruled out for the start of second-round series
SAN ANTONIO >> The Warriors’ depth chart alone has given the Spurs already enough stress. After all, Spurs interim coach Ettore Messina struggled to compare Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson as shooters.
When it comes to determining when to switch on defense, another thing has also given Messina some headaches.
“They do not base their game a lot on pick-and-rolls. They base their game more on cutting and screening,” Messina said. “The great thing they do is the patience they have. They keep moving the ball. They find a good enough shot for Durant or Thompson and then somebody else.”
Two hours after lamenting those challenges, the Spurs found a way to address it. The Warriors lost, 103-90 in Game of their first-round series against the Spurs on Sunday with Durant (34 points on 12-of-28 shooting) and Thompson (12 points on 4-of-16 shooting) struggling to make baskets.
Ironically, the Warriors made a late-game push by straying away from what Warriors coach Steve Kerr usually preaches.
“We saw something in the pickand-roll that we were able to get going and get back into the game,” Durant said. “We simplified everything running pick-and-roll, we got some great looks out of that, and it
got us back in the game.”
On the last play of the third quarter, Durant went one-on-one against Spurs forward Rudy Gay for a pull-up jumper that cut the lead to 77-71. After that, Durant and Draymond Green played a two-man game on the pick-and-roll. Green found Durant open for an elbow jumper that trimmed the Spurs’ lead to 88-83 with 6:34 left in the fourth quarter. Green set another screen that set up Durant for an open 3-pointer that cut the Spurs’ lead to 88-86 with 5:57 left.
“We’re just attacking, so we just want to go,” Kerr said. “We just want to push it and we ran a lot of high screens.”
At the end of the game, though, that effectiveness wore off. The Warriors missed their last seven shots. Then again, that might explain why the Warriors have rarely run pickand-roll plays all season. The Warriors rank 29th out of 30 NBA teams in pick-and-roll plays involving the ball handler (10.9 percent).
“Everybody is running pick-androlls because it’s difficult to guard. But I think the advantage of a lot of off-ball stuff is it’s harder to focus on when the guy is going to take this guy out of a series,” Kerr said before Game 4. “If a guy has the ball in his hands all the time, it’s easier to trap him and try to take him away from things.” CURRY UPDATE >> The Warriors were correct in saying that Stephen Curry would not play in the first round of the NBA playoffs. But will he play in the second round?
“Steph is not going to play anytime soon,” Kerr said. “But he’s come along well and has looked good in practice.”
Curry will not play when the Warriors play Game 5 against the Spurs on Tuesday at Oracle Arena. Beyond that, the Warriors will have a better idea what that means once they re-evaluate him on Friday. The Warriors will also have clarity on their itinerary if they win Game 5. If so, they would play Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the New Orleans Pelicans on either Saturday or Sunday. If not, the Warriors play Game 6 of their first-round series against the Spurs on Thursday in San Antonio.
“I can’t put a timetable on it,” Kerr said of Curry. “But I think he’s coming along well.”
The Warriors cleared Curry to participate in modified practice beginning on Saturday. Then, Curry completed all of the team’s noncontact drills as well as a shooting workout. Curry would need to advance to a full contact practice before returning, but he could reach that goal before the Warriors reevaluate him on Friday.
“He’s really feeling healthy and getting better,” Kerr said. “He still has a few limitations he’s trying to work through with no pain. I think he’s on track.”