The Golden State Warriors were painfully close to flipping the script in Game 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday, May 10. Playing without Stephen Curry, they held a slim lead heading into the final quarter. But when it mattered most, their offense dried up and Minnesota stormed back to steal a 102-97 win.
One player who came under heavy fire was the Warriors’ youngster Brandin Podziemski, who struggled once again. However, head coach Steve Kerr didn’t hesitate to back him and clarified that he still believed in the young guard.
Steve Kerr Defends Podziemski Despite Ugly Stat Line
Podziemski had a rough night. He shot 1-for-10 from the field, including 1-of-4 from deep, and looked visibly frustrated after missing several open looks in the first half. One miss, a wide-open floater on a fast break in the second quarter, summed up his night. There was no contest, no pressure — just a miss that left fans shaking their heads.
Still, Kerr came to his defense in the postgame press conference. He acknowledged the missed shots but brushed them off, pointing instead to Podziemski’s all-around contributions.
“If things bounce the other way and we’re in here with a win, nobody cares that he didn’t score a lot. When the game goes in one direction or the other, you know it’s easy to kinda look at different stats for different thing.”
“BP is not a big scorer; he’s a basketball player. He does a lot of great things out there. Thought he played really well tonight.”
"If things bounce the other way and we're in here with a win, nobody cares that he didn't score a lot… BP is not a big scorer, he's a basketball player. He does a lot of great things out there."
Steve Kerr on how much Brandin Podziemski's scoring is needed with Steph out: pic.twitter.com/5WFKWdb7gV
— KNBR (@KNBR)
And he’s not giving up on him anytime soon. “I am confident [his shots] will go in Game 4,” Kerr said.
Podziemski finished the game with just five points, eight rebounds, and two assists. It continued a troubling playoff trend, where he’s scored only 3, 11, and 5 points over the last three games. That’s a big drop from his 11.7 points per game in the regular season.
Roll Players Couldn’t Execute, Leading to Warriors’ Loss
It wasn’t just Podziemski who struggled. The Warriors’ supporting cast completely fell apart in Game 3. Buddy Hield, who was one of the team’s most reliable scorers in the series, didn’t score a single point in the first half.
Moses Moody and Quinten Post also had forgettable nights, failing to contribute a single point between them. Their inability to hit shots left too much of the scoring burden on Jimmy Butler and Jonathan Kuminga, who combined for 63 points.
Kerr acknowledged that without Curry, things look different. But he still believes there’s a way forward.
“I think we’re gonna win the series with defense,” Kerr said. “We’re not gonna beat them in a skill game, we have to get stops to win the series. Without Steph, obviously, we’re a totally different team.”
Steve Kerr:
"I think we're gonna win the series with defense. We're not gonna beat them in a skill game, we have to get stops to win the series. Without Steph obviously we're a totally different team" pic.twitter.com/01eeXGgEwF
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24)
The Warriors now face a must-win Game 4. And unless the role players step up and Podziemski finds his rhythm, their season might be over sooner than expected.
