Warriors’ Steve Kerr Explains What Went Wrong vs. Sixers
The home team entered Friday night’s matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Golden State Warriors as big favorites for the battle in South Philly. Much of that was a result of the visitors missing several key players.
That’s not to say the Sixers weren’t totally healthy. While Philly got De’Anthony Melton and Danuel House Jr. back in the mix, Tyrese Maxey remained off the floor, while Tobias Harris became a late scratch as he was dealing with back pain before the game.
For Golden State, players such as Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins missed the matchup. Therefore, it was apparent Golden State would have a tough time keeping up with a 76ers team led by thriving stars Joel Embiid and James Harden.
The Warriors put on a good effort Friday night. Despite being undermanned without three All-Stars, Golden State led through the first half. With high-percentage shooting from beyond the arc, especially in the first quarter, the Warriors were up 57-55 by halftime.
I liked the effort,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr after the game. “I liked the ball movement. Guys were sharing the ball.”
It was a successful first half for Golden State on Friday night, but when the second half rolled around, the healthier team with more notable talent on the floor got out in front. At that point, they wouldn’t look back.
In Kerr’s eyes, Golden State didn’t play as disciplined in the final two quarters. As a result, put them in a tough spot down the stretch.
“I thought those two fouls, I think it was the late third [quarter], back-to-back on the three-point shots from [James] Harden and [Georges] Niang, those hurt us,” Kerr explained. “And just some reaches, And-ones that we have to avoid. We just couldn’t do it. They shot 31 free throws to our 13. They made 14 more than us, and it was a 12-point game. So, there’s your game.”
Keeping fouls to a minimum, winning the turnover and rebounding battle while shooting better from the field, the Sixers played well in every area of the game on Friday. While the matchup certainly lost its juice as injuries took away a lot of star power, the Sixers are happy to take the 118-106 win as they pick up their fourth-straight victory.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
