The Golden State Warriors beat the Utah Jazz by a score of 111-107 on Saturday night. Golden State struggled to find a rhythm in the first half, but that wasn’t the case in the second half. They were on fire shooting the ball from three in the 4th quarter, outscoring the Jazz 30-10 to complete the comeback victory and clinching a playoff spot in the process. Here’s some of the takeaways from the Warriors postgame pressers:
Steve Kerr Discusses the Game
During his presser, head coach Steve Kerr said that this was the biggest game of the season due to all of the playoff implications. Despite wanting his team to come out with a sense of urgency, turnovers and missed open shot opportunities had Kerr’s team down by as much as 21 points in the second quarter. They played sloppy, but Jordan Poole’s offense and a re-energized Warriors defense helped cut the lead to 13 at halftime. Kerr says the team executed better in the second half where they attacked Utah’s drop coverage with a barrage of three-point shots. This was particularly true in the final quarter when an 18-0 run gave the Warriors the lead as they would go on to win the game.
Here’s what Kerr had to say postgame:
Steve Kerr: “Amazing. What a performance.”
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) April 3, 2022
Kerr said he didn’t tell the team before the game that this was the biggest game of the year so far … but it was.
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) April 3, 2022
Kerr: "If Klay just sees the ball go through the hoop a couple of times, he can make the bad [shots], too" pic.twitter.com/TR6gngdb8h
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 3, 2022
Kerr on the big postgame hug between Klay and JP: "They should be happy for each other" pic.twitter.com/96g0YijZJI
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 3, 2022
Kerr calls Draymond "the rising tide that lifts all ships” pic.twitter.com/XluWA8oJ9Y
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 3, 2022
Warriors Players Discuss the Game
Klay Thompson was the hero of this game as he finished with 36 points on 8-of-17 shooting from three in 39 minutes of play. In his presser, Thompson acknowledged that he felt good on Saturday and that he knew it was going to be a big night. Thompson added that Utah’s defensive scheme played a significant role in getting him open shots.
Jordan Poole was the team’s other star as he finished the game with a stat-line of 31 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds in 38 minutes of play. Poole has been phenomenal in Steph Curry’s absence and even mentions how his bigger role is making him more deliberate in his shot selection, leading to a better overall efficiency. He also made sure to emphasize the importance of Draymond Green as the vocal leader of the team who kept their spirits high during the game.
Here’s the Warriors players discussing the game:
Klay Thompson: “I just know I can flip a switch like that… I told Kenny I was going to have a big game tonight.”
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) April 3, 2022
"I made some ridiculous shots"
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 3, 2022
Klay knew he was going off tonight: pic.twitter.com/q3BLy9zlv7
The Jazz stayed in drop coverage into the fourth quarter when Klay got hot:
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 3, 2022
"That's not very smart" pic.twitter.com/i1WHh7rsMP
Klay talking about his postgame hug with JP pic.twitter.com/mm2gEJdDkp
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 3, 2022
Klay: "Jordan is going to be such a big piece to this run we're about to make" pic.twitter.com/eD6u5GVhv9
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 3, 2022
Jordan Poole on Klay Thompson: “He’s so explosive. We’re never gonna tell him to stop shooting... I was not cappin when I said Klay was gonna have a big game. Shoutout big bro, Klay."
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) April 3, 2022
Quote of the Night
The quote of the night belongs to Klay Thompson. His 2 years away from basketball gave him appreciation for being in the moment and not taking anything for granted. He shows that to all the fans of Dub Nation here:
“I don’t take that for granted.”
— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) April 3, 2022
I asked Klay about the Warriors fans tonight, and he gave a hell of an answer pic.twitter.com/YDrDhIvTHU
Meanwhile, here’s that same man making a paper airplane during his presser. Never change Klay.
Klay Thompson waxing poetic about not taking nights like this for granted while calmly folding a the stat sheet into a paper airplane pic.twitter.com/0fQihODBUW
— Sam Hustis (@SamHustis) April 3, 2022
Recap
With this win, the Warriors snap their 4-game losing streak and move to 49-29 on the season. This win also guarantees that the Warriors will be no lower than the 6th seed for the postseason. They currently hold the 3rd seed in the West and lead the 4th-seeded Dallas Mavericks by 1 game. Up next, Golden State will travel on the road for the second night of a back-to-back against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.
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