Golden State head coach Steve Kerr emphasized ball security after Thursday’s 99-98 loss to the Phoenix Suns. “We turned it around a little bit… 20 turnovers for 30 points. We have to be sharper with the ball. We have to be better with our body language and our energy,” Kerr said.
Kerr acknowledged the team’s efforts despite the defeat. “I thought we played really hard… offensive rebounds, we got 15 of those. But tough night shooting and you can still win those games, right? Jimmy carried us. He hit the big three down the stretch,” he added.
Jimmy Butler led Golden State with 31 points, bolstered by Brandin Podziemski’s 18 points and Stephen Curry’s 15, despite shooting just 3 of 13 points from the field. Kerr praised Butler’s impact. “This is vintage Jimmy… eight for nine from the line, 11 for 17, attacking, moving the ball at the right time. He was brilliant there,” Kerr said.
Kerr reflected on Phoenix’s late-game performance. “It’s hard to believe that the match was decided on that decision… on an air ball hitting the side of the backboard… for me it better be a foul to decide the match. So disappointing that we couldn’t go to extra time,” he said.
He also noted the contributions of Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga. “Brandin was great. Very aggressive offensively, decisive… got the ball in the paint,” Kerr said. On Kuminga, he added: “He had a good pass to Gui in the first half… it’s good to see him back there. He has behaved very well in the last week.”
Kerr also addressed Draymond Green’s performance, noting his competitive intensity. “He’s trying too hard right now… he just needs to tone it down a little bit,” Kerr said, emphasizing the importance of patience and execution.
Phoenix rallied from an early 14-point lead, with Devin Booker scoring 23 of his 25 points in the second half. Dillon Brooks added 24 points, while Jordan Goodwin hit the winning free throw with 0.4 seconds left. The Suns outscored the Warriors 24-18 in the third quarter to regain momentum and secure the win.
Golden State went 35-89 overall and 12-42 from three-point range, while Phoenix converted 36-88 and 10-35 from beyond the arc. The Warriors scored twenty goals, a key factor in the narrow defeat.
The loss drops Golden State to 13-15, while Phoenix improves to 15-12. Both teams will complete the home-and-home series Saturday in San Francisco, aiming to rebuild in the Western Conference standings.
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