The Steph Curry Effect was in full, uh, effect at Staples the other night — that’s what Klay Thompson called the place while speaking on the podium (see transcripts below), so that’s what I’m going with.
Little things unveiled themselves in the behind-the-scenes video (see embed below):
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At least one of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s kids is a Warriors fan, donning a blue cap with the team logo on it. As they were waiting for the kids to come out of the restroom, it appeared as if Affleck was experiencing some discomfort in his neck and Lopez got closer to him and gave him a massage there. Awwww, couple’s moment! Whomever owned the rights to that clip (not me, obviously), maybe could’ve gotten a chunk of change from TMZ (?).
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Chris Paul had some magnets taped to his previously broken left hand. I asked around and got this response from Dr. Nirav Pandya of UCSF: “It looks like (not 100 percent sure) some sort of electrode pad for muscle stimulation. There are so many of these out on the market now. That would be my guess.”
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Shannon Sharpe was seen late postgame receiving signed shoes, handed to him by Steph himself. As our loyal livestream regular Nicky Diaz tells me, “Sharpe is the biggest Bronsexual ever! If LeBron James was an ocean, he’d be the biggest boat floating in it. He’s one of the ‘dynasty is over’ people.”
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Widely posted on social media, Curry met with 20-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic and Steph exchanged his jersey for Djoker’s tennis racket, the handle of which Djokovic signed. Steph then feigned getting ready to return a serve, complete with spinning the racket and bouncing on his toes 😂 Let’s hope he didn’t smudge Nole’s autograph in the process!
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Ron Adams! How can I forget an Adams mention. He got perhaps his only arena walk-in video. He was wearing a Bay Area FC jacket, which might be why Warriors TV/Social decided to film him, originally even in slow-motion, entering the locker room.
All of this, you can watch here:
Here’s a list of all the things we noticed:
0:00 rare Ron Adams arena entrance, wearing new Bay Area FC gear ⚽️
1:03 CP3 to Anthony Vereen: “Got him!”, AV: “You weren’t even in the right spot!”
1:30 Steph testing the ankle
3:46 “The Kickback”
4:23 AV loses another bet to Curry’s halfcourt shot
4:52 Albert Pujols
5:43 “Just us 1-2-3!”
7:26 Lakers intros
7:47 Trayce Jackson-Davis rebounds for Podziemski again
8:06 “The Hookshake” between GP2 and Draymond
8:18 interesting thing that CP3 wears on his previously broken hand
9:21 Draymond almost messes up the dime from Steph
10:18 Bad Bunny
11:04 Steph misses a FT!
12:06 Lakers PA announcer has to call out the shot clock
12:57 Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez waiting for their kids (Warriors fans!) at the restroom
15:59 Novak Djokovic 🎾
17:22 Steph signs his shoes and gives them to Shannon Sharpe
But wait, there’s more!
• Hazel Renee held a birthday dinner for husband Draymond Green at Shobu LA, which apparently is not available to the public and only for private dinners for mostly celebrities:
• Jonathan Kuminga had a laugh over Brandin Podziemski stealing a rebound from him:
• Broadcasting legend Jim Gray was seen in the bowels of Staples:
• Curry’s fake double-stepback, crossover, dime to Green (who nearly missed the layup lol). Also notice Jordan Richard of Swish Cultures’ comment: “Tyla in the back locked in, not saying nothing.” Richard ended up asking Steve Kerr and Klay about the demise of the Pac-12 and Curry about MiLaysia Fulwiley joining Curry Brand at the postgame pressers.
• Another great reel of Steph by Haessik:
• Curry’s steal of James as seen from the opposite baseline:
• Djokovic splashing a three, late after hours on the Crypto floor:
As far as the game, as Kerr said on the podium, the defense finally clicked. I thought we finally saw some championship-caliber defense, largely if not completely absent all season. This was when Podziemski had an amazing box-out with 7:55 to go, after great help D by Draymond, in the third quarter (see game notes at the bottom). This led to a very fluid offense with Draymond leading the way. But also the second unit, with Paul being much more aggressive and confident taking his patented midrange shots off the pick-and-roll with an equally confident Trayce Jackson-Davis, plus Thompson hitting his open ones, showed a glimpse of what the bench identity can really be in a playoff atmosphere.
The asterisk, though, is the Lakers were without Anthony Davis the entire second half, which means that I’m still not sure if the Warriors are the favorites going into a single-game elimination play-in with them. More reps of this championship-level brand of basketball over the next month could change this early perception, though.
Still, Warriors Basketball finally found a rhythm. Steve said postgame he’s unlikely to keep the rotation so short at just nine players — the ninth, Gary Payton II, only played six-and-a-half minutes — and that it was matchup-dependent, with Moses Moody and Kevon Looney not seeing any action. But with Klay and Trayce playing this well, any seasoned NBA observer should be happy with such a rotation, with Moody and Looney filling if should there be foul trouble. GP2 was also pretty good with his needed point-of-attack defense, which Moses unfortunately still sorely lacks. Maybe I’ll write about my vision of Moody as the regular shooting guard starter for 2024-25 if I have time, at some point. But this season, barring an unforeseen injury, that’s not happening.
And, finally, one last revelation from Kerr on the postgame podium: Kuminga. John Dickinson of KNBR and I talked about him coasting too much in the modern game. Back in the day, guys like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, heck, anybody, they could hang back and watch the action as the remaining eight players on the floor duked it out in the paint.
In the modern NBA, especially on a ball movement team like Golden State, this is a no-no. The best way to utilize JK’s super-human athleticism is to have him constantly moving, as well. I’ll let Coach explain the details:
JK was fantastic tonight. He’s really starting to understand the value of just running hard, whether he’s gonna get the ball or not. When he plays with that kind of force, sprinting the lane, in transition, sprinting back defensively in transition, it changes the game for him and for us. So, he just continues to get better and just really, really happy with his growth.
Of course, the topic of refs came up again. Reporters were quick to jump on this narrative as the malfunctioning shot clock(s) became a huge embarrassment to Adam Silver’s TV production value. But this was because earlier in the day, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported two seemingly opposite claims:
The NBA is telling teams the league office did not deliver a directive to reduce scoring in Tuesday’s Competition Committee call, but “this trend will continue to be monitored,” according to a memo obtained by ESPN. “Slower pace, style of play, competitive intensity, officiating focus have been contributing factors identified so far.”
And then following that up with:
The NBA shared with teams one of league’s focuses in competition committee meeting had been on offensive players hunting for fouls and veering off paths into defenders – and how those recent points of officiating emphasis have impacted a decrease in league scoring, according to memo.
Idk, the layman on the street would equate a “directive” to a “memo”. Whatever. 🤷🏻♂️
I’ll have more to say about this in a future article, but it is all in alignment with my theory that Silver just doesn’t have the foundational knowledge — the majority of their league office staff doesn’t — to make the simple solution. He’s a brilliant money-maker, but he definitely has never spent 10,000 hours on the blacktop court or in basketball gyms just observing pickup games. 🤷🏻♂️ The latter would be the requirement to effectively solve the referee problem that pervades the NBA.
Here are the interviews and transcripts. There are bonus interviews with Klay, Draymond, TJD, and JK, btw:
Kerr mentioned how urgent things are, how big a game this is. And Draymond said maybe sometimes you don’t want to hear that. It doesn’t help, but maybe this was the perfect time to hear that. Well, what did you think when he said that? Were you thinking the same? And how big did this game become then?
STEPHEN CURRY: “He didn’t have to tell me anything. I missed the last three, so I was excited just to be back. But you obviously understand the ramifications of every game we play down the stretch. I know the guys fought hard in Dallas, lost it late. So you want to have a nice bounce-back performance, but every game, especially against teams that are right in the standings, where it’s all jumbled up in that play-in and every game matters. I knew we haven’t won here in a while. It’s been like two years ago. So that was on top of mind too.”
Yeah, how was the ankle? Was there ever a moment where you had to think about it out there?
“No. It was as expected, body felt good, loosened up as we went and it was nice to just get my reps back and for the competition again, even though it was, what, 9, 10 days. I didn’t miss it for sure.”
You mentioned you haven’t won here in a while. Just big picture, a team you might see again in the play-in, potentially. What kind of confidence can you guys draw from as a group winning here in the fashion that you did?
“I know AD missed the second half, but you understand they were playing well as well. And you understand what they do, putting pressure on you to paint. If we try to keep the offensive side of the ball simple and not turn it over, then we give ourselves a great chance to defend them in the half court. Bron’s gonna get his. When AD was out, gonna get his. You try not to let him get his, too many open looks from three. And when we got stops, we were able to run. JK got open a couple times and transition, Wiggs did as well. So for us to push the pace off of stops is always big against a bigger team like that and only 18 free throws.”
You obviously noticed the trend in fouls not getting called as much, points going down. You would think maybe the Warriors wouldn’t love that, but in a different way, is this kind of playing to you? Some of your guys’ strengths are, as Draymond said, you will never try to sell a call. Does this help you maybe, you guys?
“I just feel as long as it’s consistent either way, whatever the tone of the game is, that helps everybody out there just play a good brand of basketball, less complaining, just go hoop. And when it becomes like one-sided or the other end you kind of feel it, that’s where things kind of get a little wacky and you get distracted by it. So for us, it just makes it about the game, and playing sound defense. Obviously, if they’re allowed to be physical, you can use your hands a little bit, knowing that they’re going to do it on the other side. But it does help you just stay in front of guys and play solid team defense. So consistency is key when it comes to that.”
The last two minutes of the game, the over 20 minutes, how would you describe how strange that was?
“It was weird because every time, I don’t know why we had the hope that we did after maybe the second one, but every time they put the ball in, we’re like, all right, we’re good. And then two dribbles and the whistles came back. So I never seen anything like that in my 15 years. Because usually there’s like a backup plan of a secondary clock or something. So, thankfully it was only, what, a minute and some change, a minute and 50 left. And once they did get the ball back in play, two possessions and we kind of sealed the deal from there, but definitely weird. I watch a lot of golf. I don’t know if they did that playing through thing, where you see the commercials running and they’re just waiting for the game to come back, but it’s probably not the greatest for TV.”
In regards to reviews, what do you think can be done so that they don’t take as long?
“I have no idea. I don’t know what it is. I’ve always wanted to know what’s the conversation when they put the headphones on and who are they talking to and what’s the back and forth. Once you have a good read on whether the call should be overturned or not, just sticking with your gut on that and maybe that’s the one thing about the calls that were tonight, like LeBron’s heel on the line, Draymond’s toe on the line, the offensive rebound that was simultaneously touched by two guys and they could figure it out. They’re all like you have to zoom all the way in. So that’s where technology kind of gets the best of you when you’re trying to always get it down to the frame that you can see it definitively and it’s weird that those three plays were kind of all in a row. So I don’t know what the answer is, but just get it right.”
Steve, he doesn’t like replay; he’d rather just have it for buzzer-beaters. What’s your general sense of that role?
“…If it’s quicker, it doesn’t interrupt the flow of the game you want to get. There are calls that you need and it can dictate a momentum swing or a crucial two points or whatever the case is, and especially when you get the challenge right, having another one just in case there’s something down the stretch. So it might be more just how can you make it quicker than taking it away.”
On the ankle injury:
“I’ve worked really hard this week to let my ankle heal, but also stay in shape and not lose anything so I could come back. The third quarter, when I started to get going, I definitely felt it a little bit. And that second wind that you need to get, after missing some time. But knowing where we are, again, every game matters as much as it does. I want to be out there as much as I can and play solid basketball the way I know how to do it. Oh, I thought you were talking about minutes, my bad. It’s kind of the same question, I like it. But yes, that’s, for us to be able to build an identity on how we’re gonna play and that chemistry of units that you need. It is tough, Loon, Moses, Dario, probably in that order, and then you get down to Lester and Rome (Jerome Robinson), but especially Loon and Moses, there’s probably going to be times where they’re going to be needed and they need to be ready. And that’s the challenge that they face, and the trust that we have that they can get put in there at any moment, still be productive. But this part of the year, again, building an identity of how we’re going to play and the chemistry of the rotations and having that. Everybody needs to be available, obviously, but that’s huge to build confidence in, in how we need to play.”
Steph, one of the things that’s really impressed me about you is what you’ve done for youth sports. I wanted to get your thoughts on you signing MiLaysia (Fulwiley), number one. And two, I got a chance to go to your camp. Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, all the top players are there. You participated in every drill like you were trying to make it to the NBA. Just what’s your thought on that, in participating in camps and being a part of every drill? And then your thoughts on signing MiLaysia, another female athlete that’s about to be next up on the basketball culture.
“The camp experience is a brand that I’ve taken a lot of pride in just because I used to come up, when I was coming up through high school and college, I went to Bron’s camp, I went to CP’s camp, I went to Steve Nash, Paul Pierce, Kobe’s, and I got to see how different guys interacted with the next generation. Bron and CP were out there hooping just like I do, we were playing pickup. Paul and Kobe weren’t as much. Steve was teaching more. So, like, everybody has a different style. And for me, it was always fun to just get out there and feel their energy. It keeps me young. I can work on stuff that I’m doing in the summer and stay in shape. It’s a great way to give them a unique experience. But also, I benefit from it too. And the connections that I’ve made with all the guys and girls who’ve been in camp, we have true equity in our Curry Camp with the same amount of guys, the same amount of girls that are invited and they all can hoop. They’re all amazing. It’s where I met MiLaysia first and to now know that she’s part of Curry Brand and being able to have her wave the Curry Brand flag and do it in the way that she knows how to do it, it means the world to me. So, yeah, It’s what I saw coming up and what I want to make, when it comes to being a part of my world.”
Steph, between your four-point play where you might have been talking to Ben and J-Lo and then getting —
“I was not.”
Oh, okay. We cleared that up, I guess. And getting a racket from Novak, how was your night amongst the stars tonight?
“That’s what this city is, especially, a big game like this on a Saturday, you get the who’s who. But I enjoy the atmosphere in there. And same way, like, you go to different events, different sports and see their marquee events, I’m a fan just like they are and it’s pretty cool to know that people come in here and love watching us play and, whether it’s them or their kids or whatever the case is that they they’re here for a reason.”
Steph, how much of a momentum change did you sense when the LeBron three-pointer was reversed?
“It took it from four to seven, so that helped. But it was also the long break. And extending the lead without doing anything is nice. It happened to me in Memphis, actually, where it wasn’t a ref. Looking at it, it was the folks in New Jersey looking at the replays, and I didn’t even, like, we came out of a timeout the same way they did, and had no clue that that’s what they were looking at. Honestly, I don’t like that one too much, just ‘cause there’s so much going on in the game, and his heel was just barely on it. He was obviously out, I was in Memphis, but it’s weird when the flow of the game is going on and you hear a call come in from the sidelines. So it is what it is. Yeah, it’s weird when you think they’re reviewing one play. It’s like no, we’re actually taking a look at another one yeah, I was confused all the way but it’s not my job.”
You had 18 in your first eight minutes tonight. Are you actively, like, coming off the bench, wanting to come in and kind of get them up?
KLAY THOMPSON: “I don’t think so. I just take what the defense gives me… some pin downs or some transition threes and I’m gonna shoot it and I don’t try and overthink things and just keep it simple. And that’s usually when my game tends to flourish.”
Kerr did say he’s leaning into that idea, he called three to correct the game. Were you sensing that, that they’re kind of fresh?
“Yeah. And it’s been working. So, hopefully we stick with it.”
Do you like it?
“I’ve been enjoying it. The record we have has been reflecting well of the situation. So, it’s been a fun run.”
Kerr said that he talked to you guys at practice, how urgent things are, how big all these games are. But this one’s obviously a big one. Did this feel like a big game, Klay? Feel almost a little playoff-y?
“No offense to the crowd, but you couldn’t really tell. I’ve heard — I’ve been here during a Finals game — games. When I was 20 years old, I was very lucky to go with my dad in 2010. So, it didn’t quite feel the same, but it was still a very important game, and I’m very happy with the turnout from our fans. It’s cool to see how many Warrior fans show up.”
Klay, you’ve been really open about how that talk with Steve Kerr a while ago helped shift your perspective. I’m curious, since you guys had that talk, how have his words just resonated with you in terms of your perspective?
“Well, Steve has seen it all, really. His time in the NBA and that conversation has helped me relax a little bit and instead of chasing past greatness, just be appreciative of what I’m able to do now and the road I had to — or the mountain I had to climb to get back to play at this level. So, it really helped me just relax and be myself.”
Klay, how would you describe the way the game ended? Have you ever seen something like that?
“It was a little weird, but I kind of wish they would have just done the countdown earlier. Would have saved us some time and kept us a little more fresh.”
Pac-12, last official game today. You did a lot in that conference. I just wanted to ask you what that conference meant to you, and what are your thoughts about it ending too?
“That conference was everything for me, especially growing up in Oregon and moving to Southern California. So many great athletes came through the Pac-10 and Pac-12 now, but it was just really special being able to go to football games in Oregon growing up, or a game at Matt Court (Matthew Knight Arena), playing a youth basketball game at Gill Arena (at Oregon State), to finally ending up at Wazoo (WashingtonState University) was very special. And it’s very sad to be honest, because there’ll be a whole generation of young athletes who don’t know about the Pacific Conference and the history of it. So it’s unfortunate, but I still cherish those memories of watching and participating in the conference and it’s just sad. It’s just sad.”
What’s it like to see Kuminga kind of go toe-to-toe with LeBron? Obviously LeBron was going to get his, but Kuminga was going at it too. How much growth have you seen in him?
“Jonathan’s been incredible for us. He might be the best athlete in the NBA, just his ability to rise up and his combination of speed. So, he is the future of the franchise and we need him to go where we want to go this season.”
We all see the standings and it might be tough to get out of the play-in. You might be playing the Lakers, in a play-in game… you could get to six, seven, whatever, or where’s your mindset on that?
“Yeah, like, what, 15, 16 games, so until those are complete, I’m not even paying it much attention because I want to give it everything I got in this last part of the season. And then when that time comes, then I’ll give it a lot of thought.”
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…Alright, Klay, first of all, congratulations on the win. You guys haven’t won here since November of 2021. How did that feel?
KLAY POSTGAME ON-COURT RADIO WITH TIM ROYE: “Oh my God, really? Yeah, it’s been a while. Wow, it felt great, Tim, to be honest. Much needed win, a responding win after a poor showing in Dallas. And what a great win. And obviously it’s great to have Number 30 back.”
No doubt about that. It was also great to see you out there in the first half and having some fun. It looked like you were just in complete rhythm and harmony.
“Of course. I got to see my family the last couple of days. I got to visit the old stomping grounds, down in the OC. And then I got to come up to Staples and do what I love. It’s been a great couple days in the Southland but we’re all eager to get back to the Bay and continue this win streak on Monday.”
Yeah, it’s an interesting Monday. The Knicks come to town and we’ll talk more about that later on our postgame show. But Klay, how important was this win when you consider where you guys are, coming in?
“We’re 10th, they were 9th. And this is what you fight for, position. These are like a two-for-one game. Huge, huge win. Hopefully it started something special here. Go home, protect home court. And we got a lot of basketball ahead of us. And we try and win it, obviously, as many as we can. Because we want to improve our seeding. And the team is in a good rhythm right now. Especially when we’re at full strength. It’s fun to be a part of.”
Yeah, it looked like you guys were having a lot of fun out there tonight. I’ve got to ask you this final question. We had a couple of days here in LA before the game. Did you get a chance to get into the Pacific?
“Ah, that’s a great question. I actually got to play nine holes of golf. And I got to go knee high on the beach, the beach I grew up going to, Capo Beach. It felt so good and the sun was shining. And it’s the best feeling in the world when you just get to do a couple things you love on the daily. So, not a full submerge, but pretty close.”
That is a day off well-spent. Hey, 26 points tonight. You had 21 in the first half. 9 of 15, 5 of 10 beyond the arc. 4 boards, 3 assists. Great job, Klay.
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Here with Draymond Green after a huge win tonight against the Lakers. Draymond, you were handing out assists all over the place. Some key ones late. What did you see just from the passing game in your eyes?
DRAYMOND POSTGAME ON-COURT WITH CHRIS ALVAREZ OF ABC7 NEWS BAY AREA: “We had guys cutting. One thing we always preach about is not just standing still, waiting on the ball. Continue to move without the ball. And obviously we know Steph is the greatest ever at that, just continues to move. And he attracts so much attention on defense that you’re able to get guys like JK and Wiggs on the back doors.”
Before the game, (you had) a little bit of a back issue, Steph (with the ankle), but I had a feeling you guys were going to play. How important was it for you guys to play this game?
“It’s an important game. We all know what the implications are. So we’re both right there in the play and trying to move up. So it’s an important game for us. You gotta come out here and give what you can give.”
You guys have been through the worst so many times, but to have guys like Kuminga, TJD, Podz, come along, what’s impressed you about how these guys have played in those moments?
“Man, they just continue to rise to the occasion. We started off the year, and you’re trying to pull them along. Now there’s some games where they’re pulling us along. And that’s what you want to see from your young guys. You want to see those guys taking the necessary steps for them to become stars in this league, themselves and those guys are doing that.”
A couple quick ones for you… it was Stephen- LeBron 50 times You’re in a lot of those matchups. How much do you enjoy the matchup against specifically LeBron?
It’s always great, man. Anytime you get to play against a guy like LeBron, arguably the greatest player ever, you always rise up to that challenge. And you get to play here in Staples, it’s LA, it’s a big show, so I’ve enjoyed those battles, man. You always want to test yourself against the greats and it’s been an honor to play against him this many years. Not sure how many all of us got left, but each one, you start to appreciate it even more.”
Last one for you. Have you ever seen a minute and a half take about 45 minutes?
“That was crazy. That was crazy. They gotta figure something else out. I thought they had some little backup shot clocks or something.”
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Jonathan, the lights are bright, but you were shining in the bright lights. What got you off to such a hot start early on?
JONATHAN KUMINGA: “I’ll say just being free, feeling free and coming in and just knowing that we need this win. And obviously, I just gotta go out there and do my thing to help us win.”
Is there any point in the season where it’s been a mindset change for you? Your game has obviously grown, you’re growing every day, but it seems like you’re really in a nice groove right now, especially the last couple of months.
“Man, it’s just dedication, consistency every day, and just having trust from my teammates. That’s really helping me every day.”
How much do you want to win for the guys like Steph, Klay, Draymond, Wiggs? Because there’s a younger core, too. It’s a real nice mix you guys have going on. What do you want to do for these guys that have won so many championships and obviously been a part of that?
“Obviously, we all have one goal and it’s winning the championship. So obviously that’s the goal and mindset for everybody on the team and that’s the same mindset I’m on.”
Last one for you, because I’m a mere mortal and can’t jump very high. When you’re that high, like above the rim, like, where are your eyes?
“It’s way up there. Focus on the ball and the rim. I don’t want to lose that pass. So just focus on the ball and the rim. You’re doing the right thing. Simple things make it happen. He makes the simple things look extraordinary. Catch the ball, dunk it.”
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Alright, here with Trayce Jackson-Davis after a huge win tonight. You played a huge role as well. One thing I want to ask you about your little two-man game between you and Klay, it’s like a little Stockton-Malone. What’s so good about your chemistry with Klay?
TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: “Klay just makes my life easy, man. He’s one of the greatest shooters of all time. So teams tend to double out to him and then give me easy rolls for dunks or skipping it to the corner for a three.”
So you obviously have Steph, Draymond, Klay, guys who have been here a long time, Wiggins, but now it’s you, Podz, Kuminga. What’s it mean to contribute in a big way down the stretch here with that group of guys?
“We’re just trying to bridge the gap. Those players are still great that you just mentioned, but just incorporating ourselves into it, trying to play hard, trying to play for those vets and help us win a championship.”
How much fun is it going up in the air here at Crypto for some big plays, big dunks, alley oops?
“Oh, it’s great. That was my first time since the preseason, I got a little glimpse of it. But this was the real deal, just being out there on the Lakers floor, it’s crazy, surreal, man.”
Still getting text messages about the Wemby dunk?
“They’ve slowed down a lot, but still get a few here and there.”
…Seemed like you guys were playing rough?
DRAYMOND GREEN POSTGAME GSW-LAL: “It was kind of not a lot of whistles … a little playoff style, a little bit out there. Yeah, definitely like a playoff-type atmosphere. We know how much this game means. They know how much it means. It was good to come out with the win, but also it’s always fun playing at that level.”
On the delays with the shotclock malfunctioning:
“That was crazy. Let’s do something. Finish the game already. That was nuts. But we got through it.”
Kerr mentioned that he talked to you guys yesterday about the urgency, about these are all big games now starting with this one. You know you guys have done it in the past, but how much confidence do you feel doing it again, summoning this kind of energy when you know you had to?
“Yeah, we know what it takes. We understand. We got a good balance on our team, guys who need to bring energy and are bringing that energy. It was great for us. Sometimes you kind of go in these situations and it’s like, ‘Do you talk about it? Does it add more pressure? Do you kind of just like’ — and I thought it was amazing for Steve to come in like, ‘Listen, this is a big game. This is a playoff game. And we need to go out here with that type of focus and win it.’ And guys were locked in and got the job done.”
You’ve mentioned you’re back, kind of your first game in a couple weeks now. How concerned are you all about the load ahead?
“Yeah, I always tell y’all I got the utmost confidence in our training staff… And so, knowing that I trust them and they get me to a place where I’m ready to go and today was good. It was really good. I thought, not playing in Dallas as much as that sucked, was the right thing to do because, leading up to that, I just kept getting to a point to where I could play, and then afterwards, the next day, I can’t. Not like I physically couldn’t do it, I could go shoot, but I’d be overcompensating, trying to get back, feeling good, and then we got a game the next day. So, it was good for me to kind of — it gave me an extra couple days of rest and allowed me to actually turn the corner. I was kind of having some pain and just getting through it and getting to a space where I can go. And today, I had no pain and so I’m just trusting in our training staff and knowing they understand everything about the body that one can understand, and really depending on their expertise. And they’ve been great and have never given me any reason not to trust anything that they’ve said.”
How much do you trust Trayce Jackson-Davis as your backup on certain nights? I’m sure it may be easier than it was before.
“Ah, I have a lot of trust in Trayce. Trayce is a lot like me coming in. He’s 23 years old in his rookie year. So, you’ve played in big games. You’ve played, and for Trayce, you’ve played in big games where you had to be the man and shouldered the load, scoring, rebounding, carrying the team, leading the team. And so, I have no doubt that he’s ready for the stage that he’s been on as of late and what’s ahead. His maturity; he’s not your average rookie. When it comes to a maturity standpoint, he knows more. He knows his role. He excels in his role. So, I got the utmost confidence in Trayce. And it’s nice that he can lower my minutes. And then also, hold on, we still got Loon. And Loon is ready to go at all times, and also Dario. So, I got nothing but confidence in those guys.”
Draymond, with all of you guys, with all that you guys have accomplished, despite the roadblocks this season, is there a sense that you get into the playoffs, that nobody can beat you guys?
“Absolutely. That’s always how we go into the playoffs feeling, knowing that anytime we get in, we got a chance. And so, the goal is for us — obviously you don’t want to be in the play-in. If we are, you just got to go win a game or two, which we’ve been in those positions before where you need to win a game or two, to close a series, to get back in a series or whatever it is. So, I know — we all know — that if we get in and do our job, this last three and a half weeks, give ourselves a chance, I like our odds against anybody.”
I’m sure you’ve noticed the trend and points going down, foul calls going down. Does that suit you? Does it suit this team? Maybe a little more is allowed out there. Certainly it seemed like tonight that there was a little more allowed, a little more play allowed.
“Yeah, that’s great. I always enjoy that time of year where you’re not getting the ticky-tack fouls. You gotta play through some contact because we are a team, we don’t sell calls. You can’t get Steph to sell a call if his life depended on it. Klay’s not gonna sell a call, you know? And so, we are a team that naturally plays through that, you know? We’ve always said, we don’t want to learn and practice flopping because all of a sudden you get to the playoffs and you’re doing what you’ve been practicing. They don’t call it, those are turnovers, and we feasted on teams that do that over the years. So we don’t want to be that team. We take pride in playing through contact and just getting the job done. So it’s great for us.”
You probably threw four or five or maybe more lobs, to Kuminga and maybe one to Trayce. Was that just, obviously no AD, but was that just part of what was there? What was your mindset throwing all those lobs?
“Yeah, we always talk to those guys about cutting out of the corners, when the ball gets to the pocket, and they’re doing a great job of it. There wasn’t one time where I got the ball and there wasn’t an opportunity to cut and Wiggs or JK didn’t cut, and you got those guys cutting. Leave it up to them. You rely on their athleticism. They’re great receivers, as I call them. They go up and get the pass and just trust them. But you know it all starts with Steph drawing the attention that he draws, which opened the pocket up and allowed me to make those plays.”
The lob to JK from like half court, how much trust does that show on him, that you’re gonna let that one fly?
“Yeah, it’s funny, I was telling AV (assistant coach Anthony Vereen) on the bench, AV was like, ‘That was one of the ones, like, ‘No, no, no, yes.’ And I was like, ‘Listen, AV. He’s never given me a reason not to throw the ball. That’s one thing, one thing I hate. It’s like every now and then you throw a lob, it’s a very bang-bang play. Every now and then you throw it, it might be way too high. And I just hate when a guy won’t jump, because then it looks even crazier. If you jumping, you don’t get it, then it just goes over your head and it’s like, ‘Ah, all right, a little too high.’ But if I throw it high as hell and you don’t jump, then I just look crazy. And JK has never done that to me. And so I have no reason not to trust that he’s gonna try to go get it, and if I can, put it somewhere in the area, near the rim. I know what he’s capable of doing, so I got nothing but trust in him, and I know he’s gonna attempt to go get it, and as long as he attempt to go get it, I trust that I’ll put it on the money more often than I won’t.”
Steve said he feels like Klay’s kind of leaning into that, like, bench scoring. What have you seen?
“He’s definitely leaning into it. He’s enjoying it, too. He come up like, ‘Great, man, this is nice.’ Like, ‘This is great.’ That’s great for this team, but it also shows his maturity. You go so long starting; he’s been starting since halfway through his rookie season and had a resume that he has built up an organization like he has, and then you’re asked to take on a bench role. There’s not many people that know how that feels, but there’s a bunch of people that wants to judge it. And I felt like early on, he was too worried about how people was judging it and now he don’t care. And once he stopped caring, his game did what we know Klay Thompson is capable of doing. So it shows incredible maturity, and Klay want to extend this as long as we can. And I said, this is our baby. Like, we’ve built this thing up from the ground up and for him to accept the role, but not only accept the role, but pour into the young guys like he’s been pouring into the young guys since he accepted the role, it’s been huge. And when you got Klay Thompson feeding you confidence as a young guy, that takes you to the roof and it’s allowing these young guys to play at the level that they’re playing.”
Sometimes I don’t feel like you get the credit you deserve, especially what you bring offensively. I was learning a lot of you guys’ plays. A lot of your stuff is more-so off of how you read and react. And you bring that element to the table. What can you say to a lot of players out there with learning your IQ? And what can you tell your younger self, too, as well, with coming in here? Was there anything that you would change, too, with things that you would learn coming into the NBA?
“Having an IQ, a basketball IQ, is extremely important, because when a guy doesn’t, it’s glaringly noticeable, you know? And so, this is a gift of mine. It’s something that my uncle taught me as a kid, to think the game, not just go out there and play the game and try to play off skill and athleticism, but actually think the game, see the floor. And I’m forever grateful for that. I get to have the opportunity to play with the two greatest shooters to ever play. That opens up the floor in a way that I could only dream of as playing the style of basketball that I like to play, as a playmaker. When you got two guys like Steph and Klay, and I’ve had the honor of playing with those two guys my entire career, you learn how to play with them. You learn how to play off them. You learn how to use them to get other guys things. And it’s been great for me. And something that I would tell my younger self, it’s just like, to always remain confident. There’s times in my career where I’ve lost confidence in myself and my game. And like, yeah, I know what I’m capable of, but you get those times where it’s not quite going your way and you start to reel a little bit. So I would just tell my younger self, like, no matter what, you know the time you put in. Always be confident in that. Appreciate it.”
On if Steph Curry and Draymond Green are expected to play tonight:
STEVE KERR, PREGAME GSW-LAL: “Yeah, I’m expecting them to play.”
Draymond, he mentioned that his back has been kind of bothering him for maybe a couple weeks now. How careful do you need to be with him, especially with considering the injury?
“Obviously we just completely lean on our performance team and whatever they recommend, that’s what we do. So, It’s not shocking, you know? Draymond’s been playing a lot of minutes and he’s an older player and so this is all part of it, but Rick (Celebrini)’s got things under control and I’ll lean on Rick.”
Does the performance team – this might be over your head, I guess – but does the performance team weigh variables like, for Draymond, for instance, do they weigh things like him playing minutes at center or him defending bigger players in terms of like his health that kind of thing?
“They don’t get into the weeds on who he’s guarding but they check in with him after every game. Whatever is going on, they do quantify a lot of stuff, with all the technology we have now. So they have lots of information for sure.”
Steve, piggybacking on what you were talking about with Kuminga yesterday with his growth as a player, how have you also seen him evolve as far as handling tough coaching and different rotation minutes throughout the night this season?
“JK ‘s getting more confident, and as he gets more confident, he’s more open to suggestions during the game, too, whether it’s from me or from teammates. I just think it all kind of goes together. When you play more, you see more things, you experience more, you gain confidence, and then you start to ask questions, and it’s all part of it. So, JK has really done a good job on and off the court this year of learning how to be a pro and learning how to continue to grow and get better.”
Steve, this is obviously not a playoff game. It’s not even a play-in game, but do you want your players to feel like there’s a bigness to this? Do you want to feel that? Obviously, it’s the Lakers. It’s always big. But do you want to feel like it’s a playoff game, preliminary sort of playoffs feel to this?
“For sure. We talked about it yesterday at practice, that this is a really big game in the standings for potential tiebreaker scenarios. Obviously we’re not just fighting to get to 9th. We’re trying to climb the ladder and I still believe we’re very capable of rattling off a string of victories and you just don’t know what’s gonna happen above you. So I believe in this team. I believe that we can make a really good run and this is obviously a big game, if we’re gonna make that run.”
—
Steve, before the game you said you wanted to see your opportunity to talk to them. Is that what you think you saw that tonight?
POSTGAME: “Yeah, I thought we were sharp, especially offensively. We did a great job taking care of the ball and got a lot of good possessions and it just was a matter of time before our defense kicked in. They had their way in the first half. So, a much better job in the second half, challenging shots and getting multiple stops in a row to try to generate some momentum.”
How odd was that ending?
“It was bizarre. It’s bizarre. It seems like a few times a year you get clock issues. That’s about as extreme as I’ve ever been a part of, where the backup unit doesn’t work either. And it’s unfortunate. I felt bad for the fans. That was a great game, and all of a sudden, the last two minutes, everyone’s just kind of looking at each other, wondering what to do. I also don’t like the rule that you can go back and look at an out-of-bounds, LeBron’s three. That seems to happen once or twice a year. Love to see that rule go away. Like, we’re trying so hard to get everything just right. But at the expense of the flow of the – who cares if a guy’s foot is a half an inch on the line? Is that worth going back 45 seconds and changing everything with the unintended consequences? It’s not my favorite rule for sure.”
Yeah, Steve, on that note, the clock issues aside, do you have concerns generally with just how long the reviews can become?
“Yeah, I’m not a fan of replay. We should have replay just for the buzzer-beaters and that’s it. The whole goal is, with replay, to try to get everything right, but there’s a hundred plays at each end every night that are subjective. It’s not a game, it’s not tennis, it’s not Hawkeye where the ball’s either in or out. There’s all kinds of subjective stuff that happens. We’re never going to get everything right. The flow of the game is way more important.”
You maybe hit one or two jump shots in the fourth quarter and everything else was inside, maybe four or five lob dunks. Was that an emphasis, obviously AD’s not in there? Just attack the rim, go draw the defense and throw it up?
“Yeah, obviously they missed Anthony. He’s such a great defender. He changes the whole game out there when he’s in the paint. So, his absence opened up the paint for us. And we were able to get to the rim quite a bit in the second half.”
You basically kind of went to like an eight-man rotation. You played Gary (Payton II) some, but was it just game-related? Or are you feeling like it’s time to kind of tighten?
“No, it’s more game-related, and it’s hard to get 10 guys out there, which we’re not afraid of doing. But I don’t really want to stay at eight right now. It was more just based on matchups and where this game was today.”
Thoughts on just Steph’s play today and the lift he provided by coming back?
“Steph is Steph. He’s just amazing. Slow start, but he never worries. We never worry. He’s going to get going. And what he does just opens up the floor for everybody else, too. So it’s not just his shot-making, but it’s the threat of him that generates so many easy looks for us.”
You mentioned it a little bit, but just how different did the game feel with Anthony Davis on the floor versus without him the rest of the game?
“Yeah, the first half was 67-66. So it wasn’t like we were having trouble scoring. But you also know in a 48-minute game what he’s capable of and when the game slows down, it’s gonna be much tougher to score. So, we wanted to keep our foot on the pedal and keep pushing the ball in transition, knowing LeBron was going to probably play close to 40 minutes and knowing Anthony was out. We had to really try to push the pace and try to get baskets in transition.”
Kuminga clearly was aggressive offensively early. He also was defending LeBron early. How important was just that energy from him?
“Great. Yeah, JK was fantastic tonight. He’s really starting to understand the value of just running hard, whether he’s gonna get the ball or not. When he plays with that kind of force, sprinting the lane, in transition, sprinting back defensively in transition, it changes the game for him and for us. So, he just continues to get better and just really, really happy with his growth.”
Hey Coach, good seeing you. First off, my uncle played in the Pac-12, same school as you did, and I know today’s the last official game of the Pac-12. Just wanted to get your thoughts on that. I know it’s the Pac-10 when you were playing, but just the history of that and then, things that are going on with the Pac-12 and how you feel about it too. (Question from Jordan Richard of Swish Cultures)
“Yeah. Wait, who’s your uncle?”
Pete Williams.
“Oh, Pete. Yep. Yeah, it’s a shame. It is really sad that the Pac-12 is finished. I had two kids who competed in the Pac-12. Obviously, I did at Arizona and and I was going to UCLA games when I was six years old. So all I’ve ever known is Pac-8, Pac-10, Pac-12, and it’s a great conference and just a sign of where college sports are and not much anybody can do about it, but it’s very sad and I’ll miss the conference for sure.”
How big was Klay’s first half? … And how are you seeing him kind of lean into that role?
“Yeah, we’re both leaning into it. I can really feel his power coming off the bench. And we’re going to him, right away. We’re calling plays for him. It is a different vibe with him coming off the bench and he’s out there with Steph, but then Steph goes to the bench and to always have one of them on the floor, for the most part, it’s really important for us, but I just love that Klay has taken to the role so well. He’s really embraced it. Not just on nights like tonight when the shot’s going, but every game he’s really embraced it. He’s in a great place very much at peace with the role and with his place on the team. And it’s been really fun for me to see him kind of settle in because he was frustrated early in the year, and it’s great to see him just playing freely.”
It looked really physical out there. not a lot of the fouls called. Did you just feel more like a playoff style kind of game? And you’ve mentioned you don’t love some of the quick fouls called throughout early this season, maybe the trend right now?
“No, I like it. First half especially, they were letting both teams play and it’s a better game when cheap stuff isn’t called. So even with no calls, it was 67-66. The point is the players are so skilled today. Offense is so lethal with the spacing and the shooting and the way teams are playing, so these guys don’t need any help and I love it, whether it’s conscious or not. I love the shift, whatever’s happened over the last couple weeks. It’s great for the game.”
You wouldn’t always think that your team would be suited for that, but do you think your guys are – I mean Draymond obviously can play the physical game. Do you think your team is maybe better suited than you would imagine?
“Yeah, we’re pretty good. We don’t go to the line a bunch of times anyway. And we also don’t have the foul baiters on our team. So it didn’t really help us at all.”
Did you notice when your shot clock never started?
“Yeah. Yeah. I was wondering what was going on. And I looked up, I knew it was probably about five and I looked up and it was 18. And then I looked down, I see the whole Laker bench screaming and yelling. And yeah, it was a little bit of a mess tonight with the clock. So, it’s a shame, but it happens.”
0:00 texted John Dickinson to see if he can come on at halftime, KNBR did not do a pregame live on IG, couldn’t get a hold of Sean Grice of Lakers Fastbreak
3:00 starters: Steph BP Wiggs JK Dray — feels like Wiggs and JK need Steph and Draymond to play for them to play well
3:45 refs: David Guthrie (crew chief, No. 16, 19th season), Mitchell Ervin (No. 27, 9th), Marat Kogut (No. 32, 15th)
6:45 JD says he can come on at halftime
8:00 Steph not a 100% but feels good enough to play according to Lisa Salters
9:00 Kerr pregame audio
11:00 Chris Paul is mic’ed up tonight
12:52 tipoff!
11m41 Q1 pretty good P&R D by Steph but AR hits a 3
11m28 Q1 Wiggs jump hook vs Rui
11m00 Q1 JK
10m36 Q1 BP fouls AR (I thought refs were letting it go)
10m27 Q1 Dray bad screen wow
9m57 Q1 AD misses, 5v4, Dray to Wiggs tip in
8m57 Q1 JK hits another open one right base J late clock’
8m19 Q1 Steph amazing kick out to JK for 3
7m56 Q1 Dray steal JK to Wiggs 3
7m26 Q1 Dray good D on AD but stagnant possession Dray miss 3 late
6m41 Q1 JK jumper over LeBron, beat him base
6m21 Q1 Steph TTBTTOT inconsequential
5m56 Q1 JK goaltend on AD not called *******
5m32 Q1 Dray kickball on AD late call, but neither Steph or JK cut — Klay TJD GP2 come in
4m56 Q1 GP2 hits corner 3 open vs LBJ
4m24 Q1 JK TTBTTOT inside, nice fakes though
4m18 Q1 Klay loses Rui yikes *****
27:00 unfortunately ABC is a PG-13 broadcast, not high IQ basketball, so we’ll never go back to a close-up to see if that was goaltending on AD vs JK
3m27 Q1 Klay good J (CP and BP check in)
2m47 Q1 AD poked in eye, Klay hits 3 5v4 (good ast Wiggs)
1m45 Q1 CP TJD P&R banker CP
1m32 Q1 AD pushes Wiggs in back no call
1m12 Q1 Klay 3 via BP and TJD curl
0m23 Q1 CP great box out on fb for reb, great block by TJD
0m08 Q1 BP oreb but tov
36:15 I think Draymond being saved for crunch time, our pace seems kinda slow but he’s only played 6 mins
11m08 Q2 TJD good help, disrupt Hayes, to Klay 3
10m41 Q2 LeBron good pass to DLo cut past CP looking to double
9m42 Q2 TJD Klay two-man game banker down lane and-1 (18/30 5/9 is LAL, our problem is defense)
9m18 Q2 TJD block help! CP no look to CP
8m53 Q2 LBJ 3 and1 vs TJD, Dray comes over to tell him something (not be in the P&R?)
8m42 Q2 LBJ bad tov after Dray helps (missed Jaxson)
7m48 Q2 Steph gets own putback, foul on CP kills pace (ticky-tack!), Steph doesn’t like it
7m25 Q2 JK downhill layup airball wanted foul — LOOKED LIKE A FOUL
7m21 Q2 JK blocks off Christie, Kogut calls it for LAL, but Hayes 3 sec BAD CALL
6m21 Q2 SDW good 3 over CP
6m03 Q2 Draymond out again
5m59 Q2 SDW fouls Steph on the JK screen
5m47 Q2 zone, Kenny wanted TJD to catch the rebound or was to ref?
5m20 Q2 JK post, pass to TJD dunk
4m42 Q2 TJD oreb, Wiggs airball
4m06 Q2 ATO TJD Steph P&R, big step layup
3m48 Q2 Klay exasperated at J for Rui over him
3m38 Q2 Steph layup should’ve been an and1 — REF ISSUE
3m33 Q2 SDW beats Klay easily
3m19 Q2 TJD entry to Wiggs tov (Steph exasperated)
2m48 Q2 JK and1 right bank, he and Dray talk to LAL bench
1m49 Q2 Steph layup left no call again AR (Steph mad) — REF ISSUE
1m27 Q2 JK tov inside to Steph (Steph fouled by AR?)
1m03 Q2 Klay 3 via JK and BP from top
0m43 Q2 Dray to JK alley from half court after LBJ missed over BP
0m14 Q2 tic tac toe Steph Dray JK to take the lead!
1:08:00 Jimbo: On Curry lay up Tim Roye reporting Austin Reeves fouled Curry so hard you could hear the slap. No call. Tim was irate lol.
1:11:00 JD JOHN DICKINSON AT HALFTIME! Lakers hot, some threes our fault but not all, TJD vs Dray at the 5, caught up on points in the paint, JK looking like prime Klay, also Klay lol
1:21:00 on the refs, the fouls seem to be overall even though
11m34 Q3 Steph to Wiggs TD off Rui miss
11m14 Q3 Dray great P&R D with Wiggs on DLo
10m48 Q3 JK draws a foul down lane wow! — we won halftime by 1 so you can’t really complain with the fouls being similar overall
10m18 Q3 BP great D on AR late clock but blows TD pass from Steph
5kCHARLIMIT
9m38 Q3 BP great screen for Wiggs 3 via Dray
9m02 Q3 Dray miss corner 3 (buncha 3s so far)
8m27 Q3 BP oreb again as Steph misses another 3 (how many 3s in a row by both teams?)
7m55 Q3 BP box out! Dray good help — EXCELLENT TEAM DEFENSE
7m48 Q3 BP takes a charge after JK misses a downhill layup (wanted the call)
1:30:45 analyzing the BP box out and great team D — send that clip to all the draft picks of 2024 — CHAMPIONSHIP DEFENSE!
7m27 Q3 DLo 3, Dray exasperated
7m13 Q3 Dray to Steph split cut reverse layup WOW MAGIC
6m45 Q3 Dray Steph 2-man game wow
6m16 Q3 GP2 blows layup, DLo gets reverse layup past Steph
5m44 Q3 Steph 3 GOAT shot over DLo
5m32 Q3 GP2 holding call on screen ticky-tack by Kogut
4m56 Q3 Kogut late call for TJD vs Hayes but it’s because he’s screened off, that’s why I want 2 refs on the baseline
4m10 Q3 GP2 blocks 3 by AR, Steph goat 3 and1 vs Rui
3m52 Q3 JK downhill with Klay flare vs LBJ — BEAUTIFUL
3m35 Q3 SDW missed over Klay wow
3m15 Q3 Steph goat layup
2m33 Q3 ATO BP CP Klay TJD dunk
1m55 Q3 BP 3 corner
1m36 Q3 TJD tells CP to keep his hands up LOL
0m48 Q3 DLo draws foul on Wiggs
0m38 Q3 CP double pick back to Klay to Trayce lay-in
0m10 Q3 CP P&R classic one-leg runner (35-27 quarter)
1:51:45 Jimbo: Tim Roye reporting twice now Deangelo Russell carrying ball. That call not made very often though; bogus Apps: If they start calling carries, half the NBA players won’t be able to make it down the court — They’d have to cancel games in Dallas
11m28 Q4 BP good D, Dray tap out to Hayes, 3 for Taurean
10m41 Q4 TJD running hook over Hayes wow ast BP (rooks!) —–
10m14 Q4 DLo misses 3 again vs TJD
10m05 Q4 BP push shot high arc
9m50 Q4 Dray good phys vs Hayes
9m15 Q4 Prince putback himself over TJD
9m00 Q4 CP classic 2
8m52 Q4 Dray leaves Christie for 3
8m25 Q4 CP another one
8m10 Q4 caused a shotclock violation!
7m45 Q4 Klay fly by! good design ——
7m36 Q4 LBJ again and1 when they need it (GSW up 9 after the FT)
7m20 Q4 CP bad pass, Dray closes on Rui, LBJ another and1 vs JK, CP says my bad to Steph
7m00 Q4 Steph Dray Wiggs dunk —- (up 6, now 8)
2:01:30 DVDV on JJ Redick as a broadcaster: yeah definitely podcast-wise, JJ is good/interesting, but when commenting Lakers, he’s sickeningly fawning over LBJ every damn time, while conveniently ignoring his traffic cone D.
6m16 Q4 BP JK P&R then Dray to JK (but misses FTs), Dray steals reb from Rui — Can you imagine if Steph got hurt on that? (Steph misses 1/2)
5m55 Q4 Dray good close on DLo J
5m31 Q4 AR and1 on JK should’ve been on the ground
5m03 Q4 Steph base scoop
4m53 Q4 Wiggs good stop of LBJ drive
4m42 Q4 Steph fake 3 drive and dish Magic-style middle school layup for Dray — WHEN YOU CAN GET A MIDDLE SCHOOL LAYUP IN THE NBA WOW!!!
2:10:30 anaylzing the scoop by Steph, clearly fouled by DLo, no call Kogut 5m03
4m09 Q4 Dray fake DHO layup
3m56 Q4 LBJ easy dunk Steph says my bad
3m36 Q4 Wiggs miss 3
3m27 Q4 Dray good close on DLo 3 corner but he’s tired
3m10 Q4 Steph drive no call ——
2m33 Q4 Steph Klay Dray Steph wow!!! —–
2m05 Q4 LBJ corner 3 heel was out of bounds
1m55 Q4 Wiggs good tap
1m50 Q4 challenge/review: just call what you see!
1m47 Q4 Dray gets the Wiggs vs Hayes tip, but travels (Maramreddy asks if AR fouled him)
2:31:15 Klay’s endorsement TISSOT is a big fail with that shotclock!
1m32 Q4 JK traps the ball soccer style after LeBron threw the ball all the way up after the last try
1m25 Q4 Steph steals it! after multiple shotclock problems
1m11 Q4 Steph dribbles around, Dray to JK
1m00 Q4 LBJ inside putback, Steph fell
0m40 Q4 good ball movement, patient Wiggs
2:50:30 DRAY POSTGAME AUDIO
2:58:30 with the Warriors, you need all your pieces, which is the gift and the curse; when we don’t have Steph or Dray it looks bad — although Dallas wasn’t nec bad which is promising the future
3:02:00 looking at LAL remaining schedule, we’ll always be one game behind starting March 22 (they get 3 days off after March 18 vs ATL)
3:07:15 STEVE POSTGAME AUDIO
3:11:15 ENTIRE KLAY POSTGAME AUDIO: Klay: “I’ve been to a Finals Game-zuh (to make it plural)” — also he has a paper airplane cued up
3:17:00 TRAYCE POSTGAME AUDIO
3:18:30 EXTRA KERR POSTGAME AUDIO
3:21:45 EXTRA JK POSTGAME AUDIO
3:24:45 ENTIRE DRAY POSTGAME AUDIO NOW ON: “you can’t get Steph to sell a call if your life depended on (also Klay)”, on Klay coming off the bench: “there’s not many people that knows how that feels but there’s plenty of people who judge it…this is our baby”, would tell your younger self to “always remain confident”
3:38:00 ENTIRE STEPH POSTGAME AUDIO: wants refs to be consistent, or else it’ll get “whacky”, “knowing you can use your hands a little bit…consistency is key”
3:52:30 Vote for unsung play of the game!
Klay fly-by 3 splash (37%)
Steph Klay Dray Steph layup (36%)
Championship D, Q3 (BP box/charge) (16%)
BP to TJD running hook (9%)
Poll complete: 66 votes
👍👍💛💙