The Golden State Warriors need a win against the Portland Trail Blazers in their season finale to secure a playoff berth. Despite their recent blowout road win against the Sacramento Kings, Steve Kerr knows Stephen Curry and his team need to take better care of the ball if they hope to succeed in the playoffs. The Warriors committed a staggering 24 turnovers in the game, a problem that could have cost them the victory if the Kings had played their core players.
After the game, Kerr acknowledged that carelessness was the main cause of the turnovers. While he credited the Kings for their effort, he stressed that the Warriors cannot afford to make the same mistakes in the playoffs. He said, “assuming we get in we’re gonna have to play a lot better than we did tonight.”
Steph Curry and Draymond Green were the worst offenders, with five turnovers each. Gary Payton II also had three turnovers in 21 minutes off the bench, and four other players finished with two turnovers each.
This is not a new problem for the Warriors. Kerr knows that their unique playing style often leads to turnovers, especially given the mind-meld playmaking magic between Curry and Green.
However, he also knows that there is a line between offensive freedom and ingenuity that the team cannot cross if they want to repeat as champions. “We’ve always been a team that kind of lives on the edge, we’re a little wild, a little chaotic, but we’ve thrived in that chaos for many years. So we just can’t cross the edge,” he said.
Kerr believes that it is up to the team to address the issue. He is confident that they have the talent to succeed, but they need to focus and pay attention to detail. “It’s up to us. We have it in us. But the focus, the attention to detail, it all has to be there,” he said.
The Warriors have one more game to secure their playoff spot, and Kerr knows that they cannot afford to take it lightly. They need to improve their ball control and play more disciplined basketball if they hope to repeat as champions.
Stephen Curry Urges Focus and Urgency for Golden State Warriors Ahead of NBA Playoffs
The Golden State Warriors suffered a setback in their bid to secure a playoff berth, losing 112-109 to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. Despite the absence of MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets were able to secure a huge win over the Western Conference top seeds with strong performances from Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray.
Golden State Warriors closed in on a playoff berth by beating the short-handed Sacramento Kings 119-97. Stephen Curry, who added 25 points, called on the Warriors to find focus and urgency ahead of the playoffs, saying that a game like Sunday’s loss “can’t happen” if they want to succeed in the postseason.
The Warriors can still make the playoffs as one of the top six seeds in the Western Conference by winning their season finale against the Portland Trail Blazers, but they missed a chance to clinch a spot when the New Orleans Pelicans won earlier in the night.
Guard Donte DiVincenzo said the team’s goal is to avoid the play-in game, adding that they will “try to win the game and get what we want.” The Kings, who were already locked in as the No. 3 seed in the West, rested their top three scorers, taking some of the energy out of a sold-out building that had been excited for a possible playoff preview between the two neighboring franchises.
