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Steve Kerr: Raptors Outplayed Warriors in Game 3 Win; 'They Deserved It'
June 6, 2019
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr tipped his hat after his team lost to the Toronto Raptors in Wednesday's Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
"They out-played us," he told reporters following the 123-109 loss. "They deserved it."
While Toronto did outplay Golden State, the two-time defending champions were also without Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney. What's more, DeMarcus Cousins struggled in just his third game back from a quad injury and finished with a mere four points on 1-of-7 shooting.
Still, this Warriors squad had plenty of pieces in Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston who have been around for the last five NBA Finals runs. Even if Durant and Thompson are massive losses, logic dictates Golden State would have put up more of a fight in Oracle Arena than it did during a double-digit loss in which it trailed throughout the contest.
Curry was the only Warrior who delivered Wednesday with a head-turning 47 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
He carried Golden State's offense for much of the game and was the only reason his team was even within striking distance in the second half as the Raptors gained even more control. Green was Curry's only teammate to score more than 11 points, and he was inconsistent on his way to 17 points on 6-of-14 shooting.
Toronto, on the other hand, used a balanced attack with six players in double figures. Kawhi Leonard (30 points) and Kyle Lowry (23 points) were the two primary playmakers, but Danny Green, Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam and Marc Gasol all thrived in moments and led the team to victory.
The question now is whether the Warriors will have some of their weapons back for Friday's Game 4.
Kerr told reporters Thompson was a game-time decision for Wednesday's contest, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he took the floor as the Warriors attempt to draw even before returning to Toronto. As for Durant, he said he will know more about his status by Thursday morning, per Marc J. Spears of ESPN's The Undefeated.
If Wednesday's game was any indication, not even Curry's brilliance can carry the Warriors over the talented Raptors.