Steve Kerr might have given the Golden State Warriors exactly the motivation they needed to come back and win Sunday against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.
The Warriors trailed the Spurs by as many as 25 points and were down 62-42 going into halftime. That’s when Kerr, who was attending his first game since taking a leave of absence in the middle of Golden State’s first-round playoff series to deal with health complications related to back surgery he underwent in 2015, stepped into the Warriors’ locker room and delivered a calm yet clearly impactful speech.
Fortunately, cameras were there to capture Kerr’s words.
Mike Brown has been serving as Golden State’s head coach in Kerr’s absence and doing an admirable job, but the latter still is finding a way to leave his mark as the Warriors march toward what they hope will be their third straight NBA Finals appearance.
Golden State rallied in the second half of Game 1 to earn a 113-111 victory. A major reason undoubtedly was the injury suffered by the Spurs’ best player, Kawhi Leonard, but let’s not discredit the adjustments made by the Warriors, particularly after Kerr reminded them in the locker room to play their game.
Thumbnail photo via Jaime Valdez/USA TODAY Sports Images
