Steve Kerr's Bittersweet Message After Harrison Barnes' Game Winner

San Antonio Spurs veteran Harrison Barnes hit a buzzer-beating game-winner to take down the Golden State Warriors

Matt Guzman | Apr 10, 2025

Apr 3, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr watches game action against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

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The only San Antonio Spurs with NBA Finals experience Wednesday night against the Golden State Warriors were Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes.

Only one of them won it with the opposition.

With three seconds to go in the fourth quarter, Barnes received from Spurs rookie Stephon Castle and quickly dribbled around Jimmy Butler III to reach a spot deep in the left wing. Barnes rose up, got the shot over Butler and secured a road victory for his new team.

After the game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr seemed unphased.

"It made sense to go with him," the coach said bluntly. "He can get the shot off over the top."

Steve Kerr: “Harrison’s one of my favorite guys. I’ll be happy for him after the season ends but not tonight.” https://t.co/TAPa6bqkxu pic.twitter.com/M5QpfNVkS6
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) April 10, 2025

During the 2015 NBA Finals, Barnes played a support role for Steph Curry and the Warriors under Kerr. He doesn't often bring it up, but as Kerr explained, that much likely sat in the back of his mind.

"I'm sure it was pretty sweet for him, being a former Warrior," Kerr said. "Anytime you can get a shot like that, it's an incredible thrill."

With the win, the Spurs created a much harder path to the more favorable portion of the Western Conference standings. The Warriors fell to the No. 7 seed; their loss was concurrent with three wins by each of the Nuggets, Clippers, and Lakers.

Mar 20, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr gestures during the fourth quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images / John Hefti-Imagn Images

For that reason, Kerr was hesitant to say too much about Barnes. But he said enough.

“Harrison’s one of my favorite guys," the coach concluded. "I’ll be happy for him after the season ends, but not tonight."

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MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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