Steve Kerr gets paid to draw up Xs and Os, but he says those weren't the reason his team lost Game 3 of the NBA Finals by 30 points.
Kerr says that when it comes down to it, the Warriors simply weren’t tough enough to match up with the more physical Cavaliers, who rode a vintage LeBron James performance to a 120-90 victory that cut the series deficit to 2-1.
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“We were extremely soft and they set the tone with their intensity,” Kerr told reporters after the game. “It wasn’t lineups, it wasn’t substitution patterns ... we just got our tails kicked.”
The Cavs jumped out to a 33-16 lead in the first quarter, putting the Warriors in an early hole. And it didn’t help that Stephen Curry looked less-than-MVP-like in the first half, managing just two points.
“It was all me," Curry said, assigning blame for the poor showing to himself. "They were playing aggressive defense and they came out with a big punch, but I didn’t play aggressive and play my game."
Curry did get better in the second half, scoring 13 points in the third quarter and 17 for the half, but it didn't make a difference.
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“He’s not his usual self,” Kerr said. “It happens sometimes.
"Nothing about my preparation tonight mentally or physically was different," Curry told reporters. "Just didn't go out and execute as well as I wanted to."
Whatever it was, Kerr knows that he needs more than what he got on Wednesday from Curry and the rest of this team.
“It’s going to take more than that to win an NBA Finals game," Kerr said, "especially against a great team like that.”