Steve Kerr, Steph Curry, Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors, Kuminga DNP, Steve Kerr comments
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The Golden State Warriors have lost four of their last six games and coach Steve Kerr gave Jonathan Kuminga another DNP as trade rumors grow.
The Golden State Warriors trailed the Phoenix Suns by 14 points early in the fourth quarter on Thursday night. They had just traded away three players less than 24 hours earlier. Stephen Curry remained sidelined with a knee injury.
The circumstances suggested another disappointing loss was inevitable. The Warriors had fallen apart in the second half against Philadelphia just two days earlier, prompting Steve Kerr to criticize his team’s effort and energy after that game. The pattern seemed set to repeat itself against a Suns team that has been one of the NBA’s hottest over the past month.
Instead, Golden State authored one of its most improbable wins of the season. The Warriors closed the game on a 22-5 run to stun Phoenix 101-97, erasing the entire deficit in the final 10 minutes with defensive intensity and clutch shot-making from unexpected sources.
Kerr’s Postgame Reaction Captures the Moment
After the victory, Kerr emerged from a celebratory Warriors locker room with a quote that captured just how significant the win felt for a franchise navigating uncertainty and battling for playoff position.
“Felt like we won the championship,” Kerr said.
The comment wasn’t hyperbole for effect. It reflected the emotional weight of what the Warriors had accomplished in a game that easily could have spiraled into another demoralizing defeat. The victory improved Golden State to 28-24 and kept them in eighth place in the Western Conference, but the meaning extended beyond the standings.
This was the Warriors’ first game after trading Jonathan Kuminga, Buddy Hield, and Trayce Jackson-Davis to acquire Kristaps Porzingis from the Atlanta Hawks. Porzingis had not yet joined the team. The roster that took the court was dangerously thin, and the emotional aftermath of trading away respected teammates often affects performance in the immediate aftermath.
Last season provided a stark example. The Warriors played the Utah Jazz immediately after trading Andrew Wiggins and lost badly, with the team appearing emotionally drained and unfocused. Thursday night could have followed the same script, particularly after Phoenix extended its lead to 14 points early in the fourth quarter.
Anthony Slater
Steve Kerr after exiting a loud road locker room celebration: “Felt like we won the championship.”
How the Warriors Mounted Their Comeback
Pat Spencer, Warriors
GettyPat Spencer of the Golden State Warriors.
The Suns appeared to take control when Collin Gillespie drained back-to-back three-pointers in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. Phoenix led 90-76, and the Warriors looked overmatched without their star players and with a roster still adjusting to the previous day’s trades.
Golden State responded with the kind of defensive intensity that had been missing against Philadelphia. They forced turnovers, contested every shot, and crashed the glass despite lacking traditional size in their lineup. The Warriors held Phoenix to just five points over the final 10 minutes, an astonishing defensive performance against a team that had been scoring efficiently all night.
De’Anthony Melton delivered the game-tying basket with 55.8 seconds remaining, breaking down the Suns defense and finishing with a layup that made it 97-97. Phoenix had a chance to retake the lead, but Moses Moody blocked a shot attempt and Gui Santos converted a transition layup with 28.7 seconds left to give the Warriors a 99-97 advantage.
The final possession was chaotic. Phoenix missed a three-pointer, and Gary Payton II secured the rebound. The Suns swarmed him immediately, forcing a desperation pass that nearly went out of bounds. Al Horford saved the ball while falling out of bounds, and Moody dove for a loose ball to keep possession alive. The scramble ended with Melton alone at the other end for an uncontested layup at the buzzer to seal the 101-97 victory.
What the Win Means for Warriors
Pat Spencer led the Warriors with a career-high 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Santos added 18 points and seven assists. Melton finished with 17 points and was a game-high plus-21. Payton contributed 15 points and eight rebounds. All four players stepped up in the absence of Curry and with the roster suddenly depleted by trades.
The performance validated Kerr’s decision to challenge his team after the Philadelphia loss. He had questioned their heart and effort, pointing to the looming trade deadline as a potential excuse for their lackadaisical play. Thursday night showed a completely different group, one that played with urgency and purpose despite facing longer odds.
The victory also provided a morale boost heading into Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Porzingis is expected to join the team in Los Angeles, though Kerr has expressed doubt about whether the center will be cleared to make his Warriors debut in that game. Either way, Golden State enters that matchup with momentum and confidence after proving they can win without their top players.
Joseph Dycus
“You can’t, can’t sulk you can’t feel sorry for yourself.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr was not pleased with his team’s effort against the 76ers.
Final Word
Kerr’s championship comparison wasn’t about the stakes or the significance in a historical sense. It was about the emotional release of a team that could have folded but instead found a way to win when circumstances seemed stacked against them.
The Warriors are still locked into a play-in tournament path for the third consecutive year. They’re still trying to figure out how to replace Jimmy Butler‘s production for the rest of the season after his season-ending ACL injury. They’re still waiting to see if Porzingis can stay healthy enough to make the kind of impact they believe he’s capable of making.
But Thursday night showed that the core group that remains has fight left. They erased a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit on the road against a good team while missing their best player and playing with a skeleton roster. That kind of resilience matters, particularly for a team that has struggled with consistency all season.
The celebration in the locker room after the game reflected players who understood what they had accomplished. They had passed a test that easily could have resulted in failure. Kerr’s quote captured that sentiment perfectly. In that moment, with the emotions running high and the improbability of the comeback still fresh, it did feel like a championship.
Whether that feeling translates into sustained success over the final two months of the season remains to be seen. But for one night, the Warriors proved they’re capable of responding to adversity with the kind of performance that makes playoff runs possible.