Steve Kerr explains where Warriors’ defense went wrong in Game 4 loss
Jan 18, 2020; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr stands on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Orlando Magic at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
The Golden State Warriors allowed a series-high 119 points in their Game 4 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday.
The Warriors gave up 28, 34 and 37 points in each of the first three quarters, but only 20 in the fourth. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr shared why his team struggled defensively through most of their 119-109 defeat.
Speaking to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater after the game, Kerr cited early defensive breakdowns.
“We weren’t alert tonight defensively,” Kerr said. “We weren’t sharp. I thought we let them get into a groove, and once a team like that gets into a three-point groove, it’s tough to get them out of it.”
Steve Kerr: “We weren’t alert tonight defensively. We weren’t sharp.” pic.twitter.com/3GrTPIdCBB
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 25, 2022
The Mavericks were successful shooting from three-point range for a majority of the game.
The team shot 46.5 percent from behind the arc (20-for-43). Mavericks guard Reggie Bullock and forward Dorian Finney-Smith combined for half of their team’s 3-pointers, shooting 10-for-17.
Luka Doncic led both teams with 30 points, 14 rebounds and 9 assists in 38 minutes.
The Mavericks averaged the 10th-most 3-pointers made per game during the regular season (13.1), and their shots were finally falling on Tuesday. They’ll need to continue to make those shots at a steady rate to keep the series going past Game 5 on Thursday.
