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00:00The Warriors in Portland, two games to go, on the verge.
00:05The playoffs are sitting there on a platter,
00:09sit down with a knife and fork and go eat them.
00:11Listen, do you want some Steve Kerr?
00:14If you want to buy some Steve, it'll make you feel better.
00:17You don't need to buy it.
00:18I know a lot of people don't want to buy any Steve Kerr right now.
00:21No, I want my Kerr for free.
00:23Okay, I got free Kerr for you.
00:24You got some free Kerr?
00:25I got free Kerr.
00:25All I got to do is do this.
00:26The NBA, you know, it's not like we were a great team in Phoenix
00:32and all of a sudden got bad.
00:34It's just, you know, everybody can play, everybody can shoot.
00:39The modern NBA, man, the shooting variance is crazy.
00:42So you just got to keep moving forward.
00:44You want some more Kerr?
00:45More Kerr?
00:45I got more Kerr.
00:47Yes, we made some mistakes down the stretch, but it's part of the game.
00:51I made some mistakes.
00:52I could have done better myself.
00:53We all are in this together, and, you know, as much as you hate to lose that game,
00:59given its importance, you look at how San Antonio played, making 18 threes,
01:04seven of them in the fourth quarter alone.
01:07You have to give them credit.
01:09You can't just expect to win games.
01:12Now, we did not play well, there's no doubt, and we missed a lot of shots.
01:16But this is all part of an NBA season.
01:20You take the whole 82, and you add them up at the end,
01:23and I'm very confident that we're going to take care of business here in the next couple games.
01:27Dude, Steve Kerr spent about 25 minutes talking to us yesterday
01:32and sounded like he was in a smoking jacket at the Ritz.
01:35Right.
01:36That's what it sounded like to me.
01:38He was chilling.
01:39He was chilling.
01:40No doubt.
01:41And I think that what we're talking about is why.
01:44I really do.
01:45I think that Steve, you know, when you're in it sometimes,
01:49obviously it feels different than those of us who just watched.
01:53But the bottom line is Steve's got his eyes on the prize,
01:57and he remembers flipping January, which so many of you seem to have forgotten.
02:03They sucked, and they were the 11 seed.
02:07And Steve said out loud, we're pointing at the six.
02:10We want to get to the six.
02:13We wake up today.
02:15Happy Friday, April 11th.
02:17They're the six.
02:18Yes, it hasn't been clinched yet, but they're the six.
02:22They've won almost all of their basketball games since the trade deadline.
02:27I don't know, man.
02:28Like, I'm willing, like all sports, to accept some of what happened on Wednesday night.
02:36Now, I'll argue in the very next breath that that's why it's so important
02:40to stay out of the play-in tournament.
02:42Right, because one game can bite you.
02:44I'm not giving other NBA players a chance to get hot from behind the three-point arc
02:48and send me home.
02:50But, like, I do think we fall into that trap of, like, you know,
02:55like the Warriors set a new bar for us,
02:58so now we've decided they have to be perfect.
03:01It doesn't work that way.
03:02No, not perfect, but just don't lose those games.
03:05And, you know, and they do, and it happens, but when you're in Game 79
03:09and you lose to that team without those players in that building, in that spot,
03:15it becomes more alarming when you're favored by 17-and-a-half.
03:18And I know that it's not about Vegas, but when you look at an expectation of a game,
03:23and tonight's a good example, you're going on the road against Portland
03:26against a team that is without five of their top seven.
03:29All of their players.
03:30Right, so go out there and win by whatever.
03:33Just win the game, but if you don't, it's fair to look at it and say,
03:37that's a bad loss.
03:38So when you have Game 80, and you have San Antonio,
03:41and they don't have De'Aaron Fox, and they don't have Wend Benyama,
03:45and, you know, they do still have some pretty good players,
03:48but you're at home, and you're pushing for the playoffs,
03:50and you lose like that, that's bad.
03:52Oh, 100%, and I'm not arguing that.
03:56It's a bad night.
03:58I called it the worst loss of the year.
03:59I'll stand by that.
04:00But it doesn't shake any larger confidence for me, at least not for me.
04:06Like I can, and I did.
04:07I answered Lucas.
04:08He was like, wow, if you can't beat San Antonio when you need to,
04:11then how am I supposed to believe that you can do something special?
04:15And I go, well, because you just watched them do something special last week.
04:19That was just seven days ago.
04:22Seven days ago, they finished a two-week road trip by going to Los Angeles,
04:26punking LeBron and Luka in the face,
04:28getting on a plane, flying home, going to bed at 3 in the morning,
04:31waking up the next day, and punching Jokic in the face.
04:35That's what they did seven days ago.
04:38That is in their repertoire,
04:41and I don't think it went away on Wednesday night.
04:44It didn't go away,
04:45but it was definitely a little bit of a blow to the overall confidence.
04:48Sure, sure.
04:49For many, if not for some,
04:51and I do look at this Warrior team as a team that's built more for a best of seven
04:55than they are for a one game.
04:56And so if you get into a play-in game scenario against, for example,
05:01Minnesota, a team that we saw last night,
05:03is very capable of getting super-duper hot with Anthony Edwards,
05:08who I don't think you have an answer for,
05:10even if GP2 is around.
05:12If Ant-Man goes on an absolute inferno of a heater,
05:17you might lose to Minnesota.
05:18I mean, you may not play poorly,
05:21but he might be so good that you just can't beat them,
05:24and then you get into that 9-10 game and find you win,
05:27or maybe you don't, but if you win,
05:29now you're the 8 and you play OKC in a best of seven two days later
05:32with game one on the road.
05:34That, to me, is a bad recipe.
05:36Agreed.
05:36So I'm going to block that scenario out right now
05:39while acknowledging that it may happen.
05:41But it doesn't have to happen.
05:42It doesn't have to,
05:43but it's more likely now because of what happened against San Antonio.
05:46For sure.
05:46But the Warriors have regained control.
05:50They regained control.
05:52So, in fact, everything that they had on Wednesday night
05:57before the game started, they have again.
06:00They have that again.
06:00I know in that moment we were thinking it's likely
06:03they only need to go 3-1.
06:05Well, guess what?
06:07You can still go 3-1.
06:09You're allowed to.
06:10I know the Clippers are hard.
06:12Sure.
06:13It's a hard matchup.
06:14Haven't seen them play the Jimmy Butler Warriors, though.
06:17I don't know what this is going to look like on Sunday.
06:20But you have regained control.
06:22And that's, again, go back to January or even go back to Monday.
06:27That's all you wanted.
06:29All you wanted was control of the week.
06:31They've got it.
06:33888-957-9570.
06:35Let's hear from some of you.
06:36Fred in Richmond.
06:37Hi, Fred.
06:37What's up?
06:40Willis and Dibbs.
06:41What's going on?
06:42Hey, Fred.
06:42I'm taking my call.
06:44Yeah, ma'am.
06:45The confidence for me was high ever since the All-Star break.
06:49After I heard what Draymond said, a four-time champion,
06:53I was locked in because, you know, he has to back his words up.
06:57So I appreciate the fact that, you know,
07:00we go into the weekend controlling our own destiny.
07:03That's all a Warrior fan can ask for.
07:06We were in the dumps in February and January.
07:09Like, Warrior fans got to understand it's a race to the finish line,
07:16and all we want is an opportunity to be in the race.
07:20We handle our business tonight and see the Clippers on Sunday
07:24and bring on the Lakers and whoever else.
07:28All we want is the shot for Steph to go out like he is a top ten player of all times.
07:39What else can a Warrior fan ask for?
07:42Don't y'all get it?
07:43Yeah, absolutely.
07:45And thank you for the call.
07:46I mean, it's all in the packaging, right?
07:49Do you know what I mean?
07:49Like, what if the Warriors had lost that game against Denver last Friday night,
07:54which they considered kicking.
07:56They even said that.
07:57They considered just, like, letting the fatigue run,
08:00sit everybody out, lose the basketball game.
08:03I think we all would have understood.
08:05And then they beat San Antonio on Wednesday night.
08:07Their record would be the exact same.
08:08They'd be in the exact same situation,
08:10and everyone would be like, this is amazing.
08:12The Warriors are really coming together at the right time.
08:14It's all in the packaging of it.
08:16Right, perception.
08:17You know what I mean?
08:17You know what I'm looking at right now?
08:20You'll all remember this.
08:21Do you remember the game that Jimmy Butler sat on the bench in L.A.
08:23when he had just gotten approved?
08:26And so he didn't play, but he sat with the team on the bench in L.A.
08:31and watched the Warriors.
08:33That was the one I think we were at Splash that day.
08:38Because I remember watching that game at Splash.
08:42And the Lakers beat the Warriors, 118-108.
08:46And Jimmy Butler sat there and watched.
08:49And that loss knocked the Warriors to, I'm sorry, 120-112.
08:55I had the score wrong.
08:57That loss knocked the Warriors a game under .500.
09:0025-26 on February 5th.
09:04Yeah.
09:04Then they got on a plane and went to Chicago.
09:07They gave Jimmy a uniform, and he wore it.
09:09He went out and played, and at the first half end,
09:12they were down by about 20 points.
09:14They were absolutely, objectively awful.
09:17Yep.
09:17So Jimmy was on the team.
09:19You trailed by 20 in Chicago, a bad team, and your record was under .500.
09:24You're down 14, but I don't want to ruin the narrative.
09:27Okay.
09:27The point is well served.
09:28You were terrible in the first half.
09:29That's where you were sitting.
09:30Yep.
09:30But in that moment, how much would you all have paid to be sitting where we are today?
09:37I mean...
09:38Well, a lot of games left to go.
09:39Yes.
09:40But for them to go and do what they did from that second half on is remarkable, no doubt,
09:45because they went on to win that game, and they outscored Chicago.
09:49Not a very good team.
09:50You won the game 77-42 in the second half, which I believe is a 35-point switcheroo, and
09:57yeah, you went out, and you dominated them, and after that, you went on a nice little
10:01run with Jimmy Butler, and you won in Milwaukee.
10:05You lost against Dallas in an emotional game.
10:07Kyrie had like 84 or something, but then it was win, win, win, win, win, loss at Philly,
10:15no Jimmy, and then you won seven in a row.
10:19So you won 12 of 13, and the one you lost, Jimmy didn't play in Philly.
10:24So, yeah, things have been pretty good since you got Jimmy Butler.
10:2722 and seven.
10:28Yeah.
10:28Oh, yeah.
10:2922 and seven.
10:32I mean, 22 and seven.
10:35Right.
10:36And here we sit with the Warriors in the six with a couple of games to play as a big favorite
10:42tonight, and we'll see about Sunday.
10:45I'll take it, man.
10:47I'll take it.
10:47Of course.
10:48And we'll take it.
10:49The packaging.
10:49Well, but the packaging's a little off.
10:52Again, the packaging, the presentation, it's a little off.
10:55Well, it's a little bit different because 22 and seven, yes, but it started 14 and two.
11:01So since 14 and two, you've gone eight and five.
11:04Okay.
11:04Which is.
11:05Okay.
11:05I mean.
11:06And Steph missed two of those losses.
11:08You're right.
11:09And.
11:09Like, again, like, I'm not.
11:10It's all fair.
11:11Yeah, I'm not mad at any of that.
11:12I mean, you both played against San Antonio and you lost.
11:15Yeah.
11:15The packaging is off.
11:17You would not have, if you were piecing this together for a dinner party, you would
11:22not have packaged this on the way in with a loss against the San Antonio Spurs.
11:29You wouldn't have done that because it makes people feel like something's wrong.
11:33I guess in general, that's kind of my point today.
11:36Nothing's wrong.
11:37Nothing is wrong with the Warriors.
11:39There are no ills.
11:40There are no rotations to fix.
11:42There are no.
11:43It was a performance that happened on one night that was unsavory.
11:49Not a good meal.
11:51The steak got overcooked.
11:53And all of it's the most recent thing in our mind.
11:55But I don't think there are any diseases inside the Warriors game.
11:58No diseases, but there are things that you look at that are flaws.
12:04And I think if you want to look at the things that could be a problem, you could look at
12:09the Houston game.
12:10And it's a one-off.
12:10I know it's just one game against Houston.
12:12But if you look at all five games against Houston, when you've beaten them, you've been
12:17able to get up and down and score a bunch.
12:19And the games you've lost have been really slow it down, grind them out kind of games.
12:24And so you look at other things that might be flaws, and we talked about it with Steve
12:29Kerr.
12:30They shot 48 threes against San Antonio, and you made 16 of them.
12:34And I asked him if they were 2-3 happy, and he said, no, this is what we want to do.
12:38And so basically, this team, as much as any other team in the league, it comes down to
12:43are you making threes or not?
12:45Yep.
12:45And they shoot the second most threes in the league.
12:47And when you don't make threes, and I gave the number yesterday, when you shoot 33% or
12:52lower, you basically lose two out of every three.
12:56So if you have Kaminga, and Draymond, and Jimmy, and Kavon all getting major minutes, then
13:03you're asking Steph, and Pods, and Moody, and maybe Quinton to make threes.
13:08Yeah, and some buddy.
13:09Right.
13:09Yep.
13:10So either Buddy's hot, or you lose, or Buddy's not?
13:14I mean, it comes down to like, to me, it comes down to like, Pods, and Buddy, and Moody,
13:19can you shoot?
13:20Someone has to hit something other than Steph Curry.
13:24Yes.
13:24Right.
13:24Yes.
13:25Yes.
13:26And I'm comfortable with that.
13:27I think that's basketball.
13:28Yeah, that makes me uncomfortable knowing that, well, Jimmy Butler's not a great three-point
13:33shooter.
13:33Draymond's not great.
13:35Kavon Looney's a part of your rotation.
13:37GP2 can hit the corner three, and that's about it.
13:39But that's basketball.
13:41But your basketball, it's different when you have Klay, and if you have other three-point
13:47shooters, you're asking for a streaky buddy, and you're asking for second-year Pods to
13:52be as good as he has been?
13:53Well, except you're giving me four names, and you really only need one of them on any
13:57given night.
13:58Which one?
13:58I just need any of them.
13:59It doesn't matter.
14:00Just one of you.
14:01Right.
14:01Like, what happened that night is they all missed.
14:05They all missed.
14:07Brandon had one.
14:08Moses had one.
14:10JK had one.
14:12Buddy hit a few, but he shot a ton.
14:15Like, you just, you need someone to be a little bit consistent.
14:20You need the offense to work.
14:22And by the way, even with that whole scenario adding up, you were tied with three seconds
14:27to go.
14:27So you can even still win.
14:30Right.
14:30Even with that scenario.
14:32You know what I mean?
14:33But you also need Steph to be great in that scenario, because he was bad against Houston,
14:38and he was one for eight.
14:39He was good against the Spurs.
14:41I don't think he was great.
14:42I mean, he had 30.
14:43Yeah, he had 30.
14:45Right.
14:45That's a slightly above average night for him.
14:47Right.
14:48But against Houston, he was not great.
14:50Right.
14:50And you lost.
14:52You lost.
14:52So, I mean, if you don't have Steph be good or very good and help, you're in trouble.
14:58The Warriors just, I'm actually with your main point today.
15:01The Warriors need to get out of this scenario where every single solitary quarter matters
15:09so much.
15:10They need to get into a series where you've got a little room to breathe and lose a game.
15:15Like, right now, every loss feels like three, and it's been this way for so long, and they've
15:21navigated it largely very, very well.
15:24But they need to get out of that.
15:26And so, hopefully, they took a night last night, really got a lot of sleep, and rested
15:32up for what they've got now, which is two games in 72 hours.
15:37Actually, a little bit less, because Sunday's an early game.
15:39So, you're going to have two games in two and a half days, and put everything you've got
15:45into those two games so that you can finally get out of this situation.
15:50Take a week off, go sleep, go golf, no more back-to-backs, and no more, oh, no, the sky
15:58is falling if you lose one game.
16:01They need to get out of that.
16:03And that's kind of what I meant yesterday when I was talking to you about what I view
16:07as some overwhelming fatigue.
16:09It's not just that they were on a flight the night before and that they play basketball.
16:14There is a mental and emotional fatigue that's got to build.
16:17Like, since February, it honestly largely feels like you're not allowed to lose.
16:22They've only done it seven times.
16:24And after every one of them, we're in here going, oh, my God!
16:28Sky's falling!
16:30Well, they've needed all those to just get into this spot.
16:32Like, without that run, and what'd you say, 24-7 or 22-7?
16:3822-7 since Jimmy started playing.
16:40Right.
16:40Without that, you would be the ninth seed or the eighth seed, and you'd be buried in the
16:45play-in.
16:46I mean, you wouldn't be out-out, but you'd be in the play-in.
16:48You'd probably be out.
16:49Right.
16:49Like, the chances next week are not good.
16:51But you'd be in the play-in.
16:52You wouldn't be out-out.
16:53Like, Phoenix now is out-out.
16:55They've lost eight in a row.
16:56And I'll keep my eyes on the internet to see if Coach Budd gets fired before the end of the
17:01show today, but...
17:02Yeah, they have been eliminated.
17:03They have been.
17:04Yes, officially.
17:05And I wonder when he becomes also eliminated, because that thing is broken seven ways to
17:09Sunday.
17:10But if the Warriors didn't go 22-7, they'd be the ninth seed, and we'd be talking about
17:16a different thing.
17:17Yeah.
17:17Yeah.
17:17We wouldn't have nearly as much to talk about, to be honest with you, because I don't think
17:21anybody would think, even if they came out of the play-in tournament, I don't think
17:25anybody would really think that they could do anything special.
17:27But I still very much do.
17:29And so that's all.
17:31Wednesday was just bad presentation.
17:34That's it.
17:34But the larger view of what the Warriors have achieved here of late, I think, is fantastic.
17:40I think tonight's going to go very, very well.
17:42Apologies now if I'm wrong.
17:45You know, but I think tonight is going to go very, very well.
17:48And I actually feel pretty good about Sunday.
17:50We'll see what's going on when we arrive at that game, what all the scenarios are.
17:54Let's go to Raj in Toronto.
17:55Hey, Raj, thanks for calling.
17:56Raj, you there?
18:01Oh, yeah, yeah.
18:02Oh, there you are.
18:03Come on, man.
18:06I just want to talk about JK.
18:08Let's do it.
18:10All right.
18:11So, JK is being used as a scapegoat.
18:15And Steve Kerr has been sabotaging this kid almost the whole season.
18:18And we've seen what JK can do prior to the injury that he sustained.
18:23He was averaging 26 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
18:27And that's only when he's getting 30 minutes.
18:30If he's playing 30 minutes, he can produce.
18:32And this team and the fans, it seems like every time they lose, they try to blame JK.
18:37He's a bench player.
18:38You can't blame a bench player for a loss.
18:41Just like against the Spurs.
18:43I don't hear people blaming him for losses, Raj.
18:46I didn't hear anybody bring up Jonathan Kaminga after losing to the Spurs.
18:50Did you?
18:52What's that?
18:54Every time they lose, they blame Jonathan.
18:57Yeah, and I'm telling you, I did not hear that yesterday.
19:00They lost on Wednesday.
19:01I did not hear anybody blame Jonathan Kaminga.
19:05Well, that's what Stiney.
19:06Well, I'm sorry.
19:06But Stiney and Guru, that's what they were doing while Stiney was doing that.
19:11And my point is that Jonathan needs minutes.
19:16And they're losing because Steve Kerr is putting lineups like Curry, Pogs, and Draymond.
19:24Those guys are not fast and athletic.
19:26You can't have your most athletic player on the bench.
19:29And that's why we lost to the Spurs.
19:31Raj, can I throw something at you?
19:34Just a couple, and I don't even have any of the analytics in front of me.
19:37Oh, I've got numbers.
19:38I know you do.
19:39But, like, here would be my response, Raj.
19:41First of all, you said, quote, that's why they're losing.
19:44They're not.
19:45They're 22-7 since acquiring Jimmy Butler.
19:49So that's not, quote, losing.
19:51So let's throw that out.
19:52And then secondly, you brought together a three-person lineup and said you can't put lineups out there like that.
20:00And there's, like, I don't want to argue with anyone, but the math of what you're saying is incorrect.
20:06That three-person lineup that you just mentioned is analytically way ahead of the lineup that you want to play.
20:15So all I would ask is, like, because I got nothing against anybody.
20:20But, like, why do you think kind of what you think?
20:25I don't hear anyone blaming J.K. for anything, but I also see no evidence of what you're saying actually being true.
20:34Okay, do you know when that lineup, do you know when they were saying that this lineup is 13-0?
20:40Yes.
20:41It was actually the bench coming into the game and winning games for them.
20:45That starting lineup, at one point, they were down, like, 80 points against other starters in a three-game span.
20:55It's the bench that comes into the game, and they bring back the game, and we take the lead.
21:00And then that lineup comes on, maybe they'll close out the game, and then we give them the credit to the starting lineup.
21:05When it's actually the bench doing all the work.
21:07Yeah.
21:08I don't...
21:09Raj, all good, my man.
21:11Thank you for calling.
21:12I don't see what Raj sees.
21:13I really don't.
21:14I don't think the math and the analytics add up either.
21:17I hear him say that you give credit for a starting lineup that goes 13-0, but I've got a three-game stretch over here where the starting lineup was outscored by 80 points,
21:28which, A, I think is inaccurate, and, B, why would you spotlight three games when we're talking about 13?
21:33And, honestly, the starting lineup is not the most important thing.
21:37And he mentioned J.K. getting his minutes, and when he plays 28 minutes or more, the Warriors are 4-9 this year.
21:44When he gets 28 or more minutes.
21:46Hold on.
21:47I'd like you to slow down and say that again.
21:51Kaminga has played 28 minutes or more 13 times, and in those 13 games, the Warriors are 4-9.
21:58All right, so we can keep, like, if you want to keep butting everyone's head up against math, we can do this.
22:04My dad's a math teacher.
22:05We could have him call.
22:06He's 82 years old.
22:08I bet he'll, I don't know what he's going to have to say about it.
22:11But if everybody wants to keep doing this, we can do it.
22:13Can you help me fix my phone?
22:15He doesn't even know he has a phone.
22:17He doesn't even know he has a phone.