Warriors' Steve Kerr on Failed Inbounds Lob: I Wish I Could Have That Play Call Back
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr wants a mulligan.
With his team trailing by two with just over 30 seconds remaining in Sunday's first-round playoff matchup against the Denver Nuggets, Kerr called for Otto Porter Jr. to lob an inbounds pass to Andrew Wiggins.
Austin Rivers was ready for it and knocked it away. Turns out, he had some help from an MVP candidate on the bench:
"I wish I could have that play call back," Kerr told reporters.
The turnover was part of a dramatic finishing sequence to cap off a back-and-forth game.
Denver led for much of the contest with Nikola Jokic setting the tone on his way to 37 points, eight rebounds and six assists, but Golden State came roaring back from a double-digit deficit to take the lead on Stephen Curry's jumper with less than 90 seconds remaining.
From there, Jokic's layup, Monte Morris' floater and Will Barton's corner three that came on a perfectly placed kick-out pass from Jokic gave the Nuggets a 126-121 lead that ended up being the final score. The Warriors' turnover on the lob pass came after Morris' floater when the visitors had an opportunity to tie or take the lead with a basket.
Fortunately for Golden State, it still holds a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.
It is also going back home for Wednesday's Game 5, where it will surely be expected to close out a Nuggets team playing without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.
Denver also needed the perfect storm just to survive this one with Morris drilling five three-pointers on his way to 24 points, Aaron Gordon scoring 21 points, including multiple clutch shots, and Bones Hyland providing a spark off the bench (15 points, seven assists).
Throw in Stephen Curry missing four free throws and Jordan Poole struggling at 3-of-10 from the field after playing so well in the first three games, and a number of things will need to be replicated for three more games if Denver is going to make a historic comeback.
Kerr will likely be ready with a better play drawn up next time as well.
