* Tonight on NBA TV: Warriors vs. Suns (9 ET)
Much was made of Steve Kerr’s public chastising of his team after the “pathetic effort” displayed in Thursday’s loss to the Indiana Pacers. Warriors star Kevin Durant disagreed just as publicly with Kerr’s assessment and the rumblings surrounding the continued struggles (relatively speaking, of course) of the reigning NBA champions kept getting louder.
The mood is calmer today, even after a second straight loss Saturday night at home to a desperate New Orleans team that is still fighting for its playoff life heading into the final days of the regular season. Kerr’s tone shifted dramatically, writes Baxter Holmes of ESPN, with his team headed to Phoenix tonight (9 ET, NBA TV):
“We’re going to be all right,” Kerr said, as his team now has a 6-9 record since March 9. “Tonight, we [were] playing a team that desperately needs to win. You can tell the teams around the league that have to win, they’re getting after it. They’re playing for their season. And our season begins next week, and we know that. So I’m not disappointed with the effort. I always want to win. We always want to win. But I liked the fight, especially in the second half, and I think we can take something out of this game.”
Kerr had said after the loss to the Pacers that “caring in general was the main problem.” Warriors star Kevin Durant disagreed with that assessment, saying after that game, “I think everybody in this locker room cares about playing ball. I disagree with that, but I understand what he’s doing.”
Durant responded Saturday by scoring a game-high 41 points against the Pelicans, including 19 in the third quarter, but he had a costly turnover in the final minute that helped the Pelicans seal the win.
Speaking of the Warriors’ sub.-500 record in recent weeks, Kerr said, “I’m not too worried about the record at this point, especially with all the injuries. These last couple weeks has been disjointed, lineup-wise, and from one night to the next, it has been different. I don’t worry about that. We know the position we’re in. We’re in a good spot. We’ve just got to get a little better and start that fight from the beginning of the game and stay connected, and we’re in good shape.”
Warriors star Stephen Curry is sidelined with a knee injury and Kerr has said that he will miss the first round of the playoffs.
“I’m comfortable with our team,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said. “I know we’re a damn good team. Excited to get started in the playoffs. That’ll be good for us. But I’m comfortable with what we’ve got. I’ve got a lot of confidence in this group.”
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