Steve Kerr calls Dillon Brooks’ Flagrant Foul 2 a ‘dirty’ play

The Golden State Warriors end Tuesday night’s Game 2 matchup with a loss after the Memphis Grizzlies beat them, 106-101. Adversity hit the Warriors early in this one as a pair of injuries forced Gary Payton II and Draymond Green out of the first quarter. Green was able to return, but the injury to Payton was severe enough to force him out of the game. The Warriors bounced back and held a lead late in the fourth, but with the injury to Payton, they had no answer for Ja Morant whose relentless attacks at the rim led the Grizzlies to victory.

Here are some of the takeaways from the Warriors postgame pressers:

Steve Kerr Discusses the Game

Head coach Steve Kerr did not have his usual calm demeaner after the game. Instead, just like he did during his in-game interview, Kerr called out Dillon Brooks for what he deems was a “dirty” play that injured Gary Payton II. He claimed that Brooks “broke the code” because players should never do anything that would jeopardize another player’s career. Kerr later revealed that Payton suffered a fractured elbow on the play and will have to miss some time.

Other than that, Kerr discussed what went wrong for the Warriors in Game 2. He said bad shot selection was the biggest factor in Golden State’s loss. Kerr also said he thought the team was over-anxious and tried too hard to score points. However, he did praise the team for their effort and hustle on the boards as they once again outrebounded the Grizzlies, 52-47.

Here’s Kerr’s discussing the game:

Warriors Players Discuss the Game

The Warriors’ players were just as upset with the injury to Payton as Steve Kerr. They did not mince words as Stephen Curry said the foul was “out of line”, while Draymond Green kept it simple and called it a “bullshit foul”.

With regards to the game, it was a relatively disappointing night from Curry who, despite scoring his 27 points, 8 assists and 9 rebounds, had several key turnovers late in the 4^th quarter that changed the momentum in favor of the Grizzlies. Curry acknowledges that the Warriors have struggled shooting the ball as they went 7-of-38 from the three-point line. He reassures everyone that the team knows what needs to get done, and that they will feed off the home crowd’s energy when the series comes back to the Chase Center.

Here’s what the Warriors players had to say after the game:

Quote of the Night

The quote of the night belongs to Draymond Green. Green dealt with an elbow to the face that forced him to miss the first quarter. He talked about the Memphis fans cheering for his pain and how he accepts his reaction to their cheers.

*Bonus Quote*

After this quote, someone needs to get former Warrior Festus Ezeli a 10-day contract for Game 3.

Recap

With this loss, the Warriors leave Memphis with the series tied, 1-1. However, on the positive side, Golden State accomplished what they needed to do by winning a game on the road and seizing home court. They will now get 3 days of rest as they return to San Francisco for their Game 3 matchup on Saturday night.