It’s no secret that Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors are in danger of missing the playoffs this year. The thing is, head coach Steve Kerr made a questionable call recently in their loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In that game, Kerr took Curry out with four minutes left in the third quarter. The fourth quarter began with the Warriors getting the 81-78 lead over Minnesota. Unfortunately, the Timberwolves went on a 19-8 run that placed them in the driver’s seat.
As a result, Curry re-entered the game with over six minutes left in the fourth quarter as Golden State trailed behind with a score of 97-89. And while the Warriors found some fight in them, they would eventually be defeated by Minnesota in the end.
The loss is a crucial one for Golden State due to a surging Houston Rockets team coming closer to the 10th spot. With only one game separating the two teams, Curry and the Warriors are at risk of missing the postseason.
Golden State Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr Gets Real On Stephen Curry Strategy Against Minnesota Timberwolves
After the game, Kerr spoke to reporters and shared why he took Curry out of the game in the third quarter. In an article written by Kendra Andrews for ESPN:
“We can’t expect to just ride Steph game after game after game,” Kerr said. “We’ve put the burden of this franchise on his shoulders for 15 years. We can’t expect him to play 35 minutes … If you want to say that him playing 30 minutes instead of 32 is a difference between a win and a loss, I totally disagree with that. We’re trying to win the game. And we’re trying to keep him fresh, too.”
Curry posted 31 points on 42 percent shooting from the field and 45 percent from deep. Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 23 points, six rebounds, and eight assists in their recent win.
With the Rockets threatening to take the last spot in the Play-In Tournament, Golden State must work herder if it wants to reach the playoffs. In any case, the team needs both Kerr and Curry to bring their A-game in the coming weeks.
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