Dub Nation HQ

Share this post

Steve Kerr's Christmas gamble pays off in Warriors' huge win over Suns

dubnationhq.com

Steve Kerr's Christmas gamble pays off in Warriors' huge win over Suns

Golden State reminded Phoenix there are levels to being king of the West.

Daniel Hardee
Dec 26, 2021
23
152
Share this post

Steve Kerr's Christmas gamble pays off in Warriors' huge win over Suns

dubnationhq.com

Yesterday on Christmas afternoon, the underdog Golden State Warriors were trying to get away with murder in Phoenix.

Twitter avatar for @CalFongNBA
Calvin Fong @CalFongNBA
With crazy athletic plays like this, it's getting hard for Kerr to not play Kuminga more and more
7:30 AM ∙ Dec 26, 2021
427Likes23Retweets

With just under seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter, that freakishly athletic layup from rookie Jonathan Kuminga had just put them up 104-97 against the reigning Western Conference champions. The Warriors were suffocating the Suns in front of their fans and families with a paper-thin depth chart being held together by Scotch tape, Stephen Curry’s preposterous shot making, and Christmas magic.

Twitter avatar for @GSWReddit
r/Warriors @GSWReddit
Only 11 players available for the Warriors today: Steph Curry Gary Payton II Otto Porter Jr. Draymond Green Kevon Looney Chris Chiozza Juan Toscano-Anderson Jonathan Kuminga Nemanja Bjelica Jeff Dowtin Jr. Quinndary Weatherspoon
8:38 PM ∙ Dec 25, 2021
748Likes48Retweets

But longtime Warriors antagonist Chris Paul wasn’t going to let them get away that easy. He snaked past Kuminga and finished at the rim with a gutsy layup that brought the Suns within five points with 5 minutes to go.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr stepped onto the court and called timeout. He was bereft of his normal council as his three assistant coaches missed the game due to medical concerns. His next move had to be his best move with the game in the balance; there was no doubt he had to get the resting Draymond Green back into the game.

And while he did reinsert Green, I was hella surprised to see the Dubs trot out a lineup without their best player Curry on the floor. For the first time in my life, I could understand the plight of the #FireKerr crowd who questioned his substitution patterns and rigid dogma that the entire team be relied on to contribute even if that meant diminishing Curry’s individual opportunities.

Twitter avatar for @ThompsonScribe
Marcus Thompson @ThompsonScribe
With 5:04 left, Curry is at 34 minutes. Does Kerr ride him out, or try to squeeze a few minutes of rest in with just a five-point lead?
12:21 AM ∙ Dec 26, 2021
211Likes14Retweets
Twitter avatar for @GoIdenState
Optimistic Warriors Fan @GoIdenState
Steph is a +17 tonight we’re literally blowing them out when he plays.. But Of course this 🤡 ass coach has him on the bench in crunch time
12:28 AM ∙ Dec 26, 2021
145Likes19Retweets

LOL damn! I’d never refer to a man who has led the Warriors to titles as a “clown ass coach”, but I think it’s fair to say that Kerr’s decision was eyebrow raising in the moment.

Twitter avatar for @GoIdenState
Optimistic Warriors Fan @GoIdenState
*Phoenix gaining momentum* Steve Kerr: Let me take Steph out the game and run a terrible lineup with no offense
11:06 PM ∙ Dec 25, 2021
1,457Likes139Retweets

Curry sat for the next 2:19 of gametime. Here’s the two offensive possessions that kept the Warriors ahead:

An Otto Porter Jr. pull-up three-pointer over a Kevon Looney screen? Lmao wut.

Twitter avatar for @WorldWideWob
Rob Perez @WorldWideWob
hitting a monstrously clutch shot in front of the other team's bench and being able to turn around to talk shit in front of 15,000 people has to the be the best feeling in the world.
12:33 AM ∙ Dec 26, 2021
10,105Likes719Retweets
Twitter avatar for @espn_macmahon
Tim MacMahon @espn_macmahon
Otto Porter for MVVM (Most Valuable Vet Minimum)
12:32 AM ∙ Dec 26, 2021
582Likes43Retweets

And an off-ball screen from Looney to OPJ out of Kerr’s tried-and-true post splits play that led to Green barreling for a bucket on an out of position defense.

Twitter avatar for @NBCSWarriors
Warriors on NBCS @NBCSWarriors
💪 Tough play by Dray 💪
12:28 AM ∙ Dec 26, 2021
382Likes27Retweets

The Phoenix defense didn’t have to deal with Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, or Andre Iguodala on either of those crunchtime possessions…and still couldn’t prevent the Dubs from scoring those huge buckets. And the Suns are elite defensively!

When Kerr put Curry back in the game with 2:47 remaining and a 109-107 lead, the final sprint was all Golden State as our guy Apricot revealed in his latest E1P episode. The Dubs won 116-107, a statement victory on the road despite their injury woes.

Dub Nation HQ
Explain One Play: Otto Porter Jr ends Xmas game by beating the Phoenix Box-and-One D on Steph Curry
A list of all Explain One Play articles and videos is at The new Explain One Play index…
Read more
a year ago · 5 likes · 2 comments · Eric Apricot

I just want to go back real quick to the audacity of Kerr to rest Curry in that spot. Apparently the logic was Kerr noticed Curry was exhausted from running high pick-and-rolls over and over:

Twitter avatar for @mcgboye
Gboye @mcgboye
Steve Kerr's explanation on why he took Steph Curry out late in the 4th quarter for two minutes. Mentioned that he and his staff are able to recognize when Steph is tired. Steph wasn't happy with the decision. Worked out in the end.
5:08 AM ∙ Dec 26, 2021

Kerr referred to that earlier triple by Porter we referenced as the biggest shot of the game as it gave Curry time to catch his breath without the Suns taking the lead. Those are the kinds of moments that build trust and confidence when they work, and activate rage in the fanbase when they don’t. Thankfully Kerr is someone Dub Nation can depend on to make the tough decisions. #ChasingWins?

Twitter avatar for @GodlLotus
Tolunai @GodlLotus
@warriors i was scared when steve kerr subbed curry out with 4 min left. but thankfully otto saved us
12:47 AM ∙ Dec 26, 2021
72Likes1Retweet
Twitter avatar for @BontaHill
Bonta Hill @BontaHill
Steve Kerr has been masterful this season.
1:58 AM ∙ Dec 26, 2021
591Likes33Retweets

I’d like to ask the esteemed DNHQ community how you feel this game reflects on some of the ongoing narratives around here:

1.) How worried about big man depth are you after Suns center DeAndre Ayton shot 80% but only finished with 18 points and 7 rebounds in a loss?

2.) Do you expect Gary Payton II (14pts/8reb in 30 minutes as a starter) and Kuminga (12 points and hellacious defense off the bench) to be consistent playoff contributors come next spring?

Twitter avatar for @tony__yh
Ulcerative Cloutitis @tony__yh
GP2 is one of the best contracts in the league and a top 5 off-season move
11:47 PM ∙ Dec 25, 2021
493Likes32Retweets

3.) Is it arrogant to write off Phoenix as a true threat after beating them for the Christmas Day championship?

Twitter avatar for @ROSGO21
Ros ᵍᵐ Gold-Onwude @ROSGO21
Interestingly enough, even with Wiggins, Poole, Lee, Moody, Wiseman, Klay all out, what separated the Warriors from the Suns tonight was… their depth.
1:04 AM ∙ Dec 26, 2021
727Likes74Retweets
Twitter avatar for @GrantLiffmann
Grant Liffmann @GrantLiffmann
Imagine this Warriors team youre watching compete in PHX right now... ... and then add Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, Andre Iguodala, Damion Lee, James Wiseman and Moses Moody...
11:07 PM ∙ Dec 25, 2021
4,687Likes682Retweets

I look forward to hearing your musings; enjoy your holiday weekend!

152
Share this post

Steve Kerr's Christmas gamble pays off in Warriors' huge win over Suns

dubnationhq.com
152 Comments
Alas Phood Fight
Dec 28, 2021

Is this what it will be like at the end of the Universe? We are at the end of the thread. The lights of distant posts fade to darkness, one after another. Hot takes no longer warm the Warrior's soul as the chill of off days sets in. Yet in the cold of Omicron's shadow, we still hope, and pray, that a new Universe lies poised to explode in a rain of 3s and back door cuts. And a new thread will emerge from nothingness, ushering in new hope for inert compostable material to assemble into sentient beings who can once again rain down ridiculous mind numbing takes like contested Curry 3s. Life and Death on a Thread. The circle of Warrior's Life.

Expand full comment
Reply
Alas Phood Fight
Dec 27, 2021

Well, I had some tasty crow and humble pie for Christmas with my "Warriors are gonna phone it in" take. Did not see that coming. The follow up to the dubs putting out that much effort in a short-handed game is that Curry & Green can't play like that all year. Not worried about Curry 'cuz I always felt he'll get plenty of rest days once Klay is back. (Poole & Klay start any game, like our chances against almost anyone) But Dray? It was always going to be harder to spell him. What do you say? He's got himself a 10 day Winter Vaca? Well, that's one way to do it. But Jokic twice and Golbert coming up? NO Dray or Wiseman? Well, I expect the Warriors to "phone it in". Hopefully, the same way they phoned it in on Christmas! ;-)

Expand full comment
Reply
1 reply
150 more comments…
TopNewCommunity

No posts

Ready for more?

© 2023 Let's Go Dubs, LLC
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great writing