The Golden State Warriors on Thursday night became the first NBA team to play 14 players in the first half of a playoff game since at least 1998.
Warriors Coach Steve Kerr Used A Kitchen-Sink Experiment
In the Warriors’ 117-93 road loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2 of their Western Conference second-round series, coach Steve Kerr decided to play a whopping 14 players on his roster.
Since Stephen Curry is expected to miss at least a week due to a left hamstring strain, Kerr played: Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, Quinten Post, Buddy Hield, Brandin Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga, Kevon Looney, Braxton Key, Kevin Knox II, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Gui Santos, Gary Payton II, Moses Moody, and Pat Spencer.
“Our plan going into it was to play multiple guys, and we did that. I think we played 14 guys in the first half. Part of the reasoning is fatigue from traveling and playing games,” Kerr said.
“Another part is that we have to figure out what we’re going to do in this series without Steph. We gave guys a lot of opportunities, and some guys really stepped up — like Trayce and JK, who were really good tonight.”
Kuminga, the seventh overall pick in the 2021 draft who missed significant time with a sprained right ankle, was a bright spot off the bench for a Warriors squad that was missing its best player.
Golden State Had Its Lowest First-Quarter Score In Playoffs Since 2016
Kuminga (18 points) and Jackson-Davis (15) combined to shoot 14-for-17 from the floor for the Warriors. Golden State took nearly five minutes to score, finally breaking through down 13-0 on Butler’s 3-pointer.
“I think the biggest lesson is don’t start off in a hole like we did tonight, and the game maybe could have ended up a little bit differently,” Butler said during his postgame interview.
Per Sportradar, the Warriors put up their lowest first-quarter score (15) in the playoffs since Game 6 of the 2016 NBA Finals, when they had 11 in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In the second quarter, Green was assessed a technical foul for elbowing Naz Reid. Kerr pulled him shortly after to help deescalate the situation. Kerr added that while Green’s intensity is part of what makes him great, he still needs to learn to keep his cool.
“He’s going to have to stay composed. Obviously, we need that, and I’m sure he will, because he understands the situation we’re in,” Kerr said. “That’s part of Draymond — it’s what makes him such a fierce competitor and a winner — but sometimes it crosses the line. It’s our job to help him keep his composure.”
The best-of-seven series now shifts to San Francisco for Games 3 and 4.