Before Game 3, coach Steve Kerr shared with the Golden State players his favorite quote from collegiate colleague John Wooden: “Be quick but don’t rush.”
He recommended that the Warriors take their best shots and be more careful with the ball to limit turnovers, and asked them to recover boards with strength and heart.
Then the defending champions looked dominant despite missing two of their top defenders, including suspended star Draymond Green.
Stephen Curry scored 36 points, Kevon Looney matched a career high of 20 boards and nine assists, and Golden State beat the Sacramento Kings 114-97 on Thursday night in a big lift to come within 2-1 on aggregate in their first series of the opening round of the postseason.
“We are a very proud team, we know how to react when our backs are against the wall; we always show it on a regular basis,” Looney said.
“I think Draymond knew. Without him playing he knew how we were going to respond. He knew that he could count on us to defend the square during his suspension. We are excited to have him back for the next match,” he added.
The feisty power forward was suspended without pay for stepping on Domantas Sabonis’ chest in the fourth quarter of Game 2 Monday at the Golden 1 Center.