Steve Kerr Backs Warriors' Approach Despite Suffering Worst Home Loss in Decades

Kerr called the franchise's worst home loss in ages "demoralizing."
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. / Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
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The Golden State Warriors endured one of their more embarrassing losses in the Steve Kerr-Steph Curry era as they fell 125–85 to the Boston Celtics on Monday. The Warriors' 40-point blowout loss at the Chase Center marked the team's worst home loss since 1985, four decades ago.

Even with Steph Curry healthy, the Warriors could barely muster up any offense. Curry led the team with 18 points, and only one other player tallied double digit points on the day.

Despite their offensive struggles in the game, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is not planning to shift away from their heavy three-point approach. The Warriors rank fourth in the NBA in average number of three-pointers attempted per game.

"We're not a team that gets layups or free throws," Kerr told the media after the game. "It's just not in our DNA. So we have to shoot a lot of threes and we will continue to do so. Nights like tonight where they don't go, it's a tough road."

Kerr admitted the loss was "demoralizing," but called for his team to "flush" the loss down the toilet as they shift their focus to the next game, against the Sacramento Kings.

“We’ve got to flush this one down the toilet and get ready for Sac," Kerr said. "We’ve been very competitive all year. Our guys have fought, but we’ve had a handful of these where we get blown out. These are demoralizing.”

Kerr has utilized the "flush" phrase before after these types of losses. Kerr even used the phrase last season when the Warriors lost to the Celtics by 52 points in Boston.

After a promising 12–3 start to the season, the Warriors have fallen to 21–21 on the year. Their offensive strategy and the messaging of Kerr made this team a dynasty as recently as when they won the NBA Finals in 2022, but for now, it's part of the reason this team remains inconsistent.

The Warriors are far from out of the mix with almost three months of basketball still left on the schedule, but they are currently on the outside looking in as they compete in a stiff Western Conference field.


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Eva Geitheim
EVA GEITHEIM

Eva Geitheim is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor's in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or re-watching Gilmore Girls.