After their tough Game 4 loss to the Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr described the Mike D'Antoni-led group as a team full of middle linebackers.
In his postgame press conference, Kerr observed that while Houston is comprised of linebackers, his team is built like volleyball players.
After Game 4 loss to Rockets, Warriors’ Steve Kerr: “They’ve got a lot of middle linebackers on that team. We’re built like volleyball players, long and lean.”
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) May 7, 2019
As many other teams have done, the Rockets have been extra physical in dealing the Warriors. For Kerr, this is what has to be done to beat his squad. However, this does not mean that they'll let Houston get away with it, emphasizing that they know what to do and how to respond against a physical team.
Steve Kerr: “They got a lot of middle linebackers on that team. They’re sturdy.” pic.twitter.com/JEGnVtIzF2
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 7, 2019
In Game 4, the Rockets' physical play held Klay Thompson to just 11 points on 33.3 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from 3-point country. Stephen Curry, for his part, crawled to 30 points on 48 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from downtown.
The Splash Brothers' struggles can be attributed to Houston forcing them to defend their best guards, draining them of their energy and rhythm once it is their turn to play offense. Certainly, this strategy worked effectively.
Though the momentum seems to be shifting to the Rockets' side, one cannot discount the Warriors' resilience. Many have come close to booting them out their throne over the last four years. And more often than not, it's the Dubs who have come out alive.
Follow Us
Subscribe