Category: Basketball

Report: Kuminga, Warriors will explore sign-and-trade scenarios originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

There is a possibility that Jonathan Kuminga has played his final game with the Warriors.

Selected seventh overall by Golden State in the 2021 NBA Draft, the first of the Warriors’ two lottery picks that year, along with guard Moses Moody (No. 14 overall), Kuminga’s tenure with Golden State has been anything but smooth.

And as his fourth NBA season comes to a close with the Warriors’ 121-110 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals on Wednesday at Target Center, it appears increasingly likely the 22-year-old could play elsewhere next season.

Kuminga, who reportedly is expected to have his $7.9 million qualifying offer extended by the Warriors this offseason, making him a restricted free agent in July, will explore sign-and-trade scenarios with Golden State, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson reported Thursday, citing league sources.

“Both sides are expected to explore sign-and-trade scenarios, those sources said, which would open up the market and theoretically give Kuminga the contract and fresh start he’d desire while bringing the Warriors back rotation players of immediate value,” Slater and Thompson wrote. “The Warriors’ decision-makers believe they need more positional size across the board — center and otherwise.”

However, Slater and Thompson also reported, citing league sources, that a reunion between Kuminga and the Warriors still is on the table.

The Athletic spoke with Warriors CEO Joe Lacob immediately after Golden State’s season-ending loss on Wednesday, and the long-time Kuminga proponent reaffirmed his support for the young forward.

“I was listening to the guys behind me tonight give running commentary — T-Wolves fans,” Lacob told The Athletic. “(Kuminga)’s the guy they talked about all night long. He’s the only guy that could really guard (Anthony Edwards) out there. Did a pretty damn good job. He had a tough situation with the DNPs from the last series, and to bounce back from that, I give him a lot of credit. I’m a big fan of his.”

Will Lacob’s advocacy play a role in Golden State potentially signing Kuminga to a lucrative long-term contract this summer, or will the Warriors leverage his value to land players who are better fits for coach Steve Kerr’s rotations?

We will find out in the coming months.

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Report: Warriors unlikely to pursue Giannis trade after playoff exit originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Even in the wake of their 2025 NBA playoffs exit, it does not appear the Warriors are preparing to make an Earth-shattering move this offseason.

Particularly for the biggest name that could be available on the trade market this summer: Milwaukee Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Hours after Golden State’s 121-110 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals on Wednesday at Target Center, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson reported, citing league sources, that the Warriors currently are not expected to be major players in the potential market for Antetokounmpo, if he were to become available.

“There are no early indications that the Warriors will be at the front of the line of the yet-to-materialize Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, league sources said,” Slater and Thompson wrote. “As they enter the summer, team sources said, the internal plan and conversation is about how to best reform the role players around the [Steph] Curry and [Jimmy] Butler duo, not chase another star.”

Of course, this is the NBA, and as we have learned time and time again, it’s that you never truly can rule out anything.

As Slater and Thompson alluded to, the Giannis sweepstakes have yet to materialize, as the two-time NBA MVP reportedly is “open-minded” to playing elsewhere next season, but has not requested a trade, nor have the Bucks indicated any desire to move him.

If Antetokounmpo were to become available this summer, there is no doubt the Warriors, at the very least, would have some level of interest in acquiring the nine-time All-Star, who reportedly has been Golden State CEO Joe Lacob’s “dream target” over the years.

However, even if “Greek Freak” does hit the trade market, it does not appear the Warriors are a likely landing spot.

For now …

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The Boston Celtics kept themselves in the NBA play-offs with a win against the New York Knicks as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Golden State Warriors to reach the Western Conference final.

The Celtics, the reigning NBA champions, were 3-1 down in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-final and missing star player Jayson Tatum, who went off injured in game four and has had surgery on a ruptured Achilles.

However, they earned a convincing 127-102 win at TD Garden thanks to Derrick White's 34 points, and 26 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds from Jaylen Brown.

Game five will take place in New York on Friday at 20:00 local time (Saturday 01:00 BST).

"We made winning plays on both ends of the floor," said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla. "They made enough plays to win - gave us another chance to play."

The Timberwolves beat the Warriors 121-110 to secure a 4-1 Western Conference semi-final play-off series win.

• NBA play-offs - route to the final

Julius Randle scored 29 points and Anthony Edwards contributed 22 points and 12 assists for the Timberwolves at Target Center in Minneapolis.

The Timberwolves will play the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference final, with the former leading their series 3-2.

"It's great," said Randle. "We've had a season full of adversity. Coach (Chris Finch) said at the end of the regular season that we didn't do anything as far as trades or firing coaches. We just stuck together and we got through it together.

"I'm super proud of our team, everybody that stepped up in some type of way this year. We've got to keep going."

The Warriors did not won a game since losing star player Stephen Curry to a hamstring injury in game one.

"Injuries are part of the play-offs," said coach Steve Kerr. "I learned a long time ago that the play-offs are really about health and then just guys stepping up and making some big shots, big plays in key games. That's what decides every series.

"We've been on both ends of that. There's no sense in dwelling on it, and I don't want to take anything away from what Minnesota just accomplished."

BOSTON – How can the Knicks get more out of Karl-Anthony Towns?

There are several answers to that question. Towns needs to limit his fouls. He was in foul trouble yet again in Game 5 on Wednesday.

Towns and the Knicks can attack Jrue Holiday more effectively when he guards Towns. Towns can also do more when the Celtics send a second defender at him.

But Towns can’t create more three-point shots for himself. The Knicks need to adjust their approach if they want to get more perimeter shots for Towns. He’s made just two three-pointers in this series. He was 1-for-3 from the perimeter in Game 5.

Afterward, Josh Hart was asked what the Knicks can do to create more perimeter looks for Towns.

“I think we can run actions that get him open more. We’re running a lot of ball-screen actions. And they’re in a drop, we can figure out ways to get him going, whether it’s transition or flares or quick screens. Ball screens into wides. We have to figure out ways to help him,” he said late Wednesday night. “Obviously, he’s a hell of a shooter. But if he was a guard, we’d be in a different situation, because he’d have the ball in his hands and be able to create [for himself]. We’ve got to help him get in positions for that. And I think from the top down, we’re not doing that.”

The Celtics used Holiday to defend Towns for long stretches of Game 5. That matchup, in theory, should allow Towns the opportunity to score inside. But Boston was also sending a second defender at Towns. The Knicks couldn’t take advantage often enough on Wednesday. They shot 35 percent from the field.

Afterward, Jalen Brunson was asked about Towns’ three-point shooting in the series.

"I think as a group we need to trust each other. I need to trust everyone out there and knowing who to attack and when to set the table. I think the biggest part of that is knowing how they are defending [Towns]," the guard said. "If they are going to put a smaller guy on him, then [we can feed him in] the post. They haven’t put a bigger guy on him. We need to attack accordingly, and him being aggressive gives us a big advantage.”

Towns said after Game 5 that his perimeter opportunities -- or lack thereof -- are by design.

“I haven’t really been out there really. Haven’t had the chance to shoot. We’ve just been trying to do our game plan and I’m just trying to execute at the highest level,” Towns said. “So I’m trying to do most of my damage inside and do whatever my team asks of me.”

The Knicks have found ways to get Towns more involved in the offense in the past. In the Detroit series, Towns got going in Game 3 and Game 4 after a quiet Game 2. In those games, the Knicks created early opportunities for Towns in the post or on the perimeter.

Maybe they make a similar adjustment in Game 6? The Knicks will probably need more from Towns on Friday night if they want to close out Boston.

DEFENSE RESTS

The Knicks' transition defense was a big issue on Wednesday. New York gave up several open threes due to poor communication or poor effort in transition. Boston finished 22-for-49 from beyond the arc.

“Pretty much everybody is back [on defense in transition] but we're not communicating,” Mikal Bridges said. “We’re not taking our man. We just got to do a better job of communicating and we gave them confidence.”

Tom Thibodeau noted that the Knicks were slow in getting back on defense at times.

“We’ve got to be tougher with our closeouts and taking air space away, we’ve got to be better with our communication,” Thibodeau said. “…I think it’s two-fold: the commitment to sprint back and then communicate to make sure that we understand what’s going on. You can't have any personal dilemmas of if you’re missing a shot or if it’s not going well for you offensively, that you're jogging back. You’ve got to sprint back, you’ve got to communicate. And we’ve got to be matched up. If one guy is slow, you’re gonna give them an open shot. You can’t do that against this team.”

CENTER OF ATTENTION

Joe Mazzulla went with Luke Kornet and Al Horford as his centers in the second half on Wednesday. He said Kristaps Porzingis was having trouble with his lingering illness. Kornet, the ex-Knick, was fantastic. He had five blocks in the third quarter and seven overall. It will be interesting to see how Mazzulla approaches the center position on Friday night. Porzingis is clearly not himself. In Boston earlier in the series, he received an IV during the game in an effort to get back on the floor.

When the Knicks took a commanding 3-1 series lead, they knew it wouldn't be easy to get that clinching win, especially against the defending champion Boston Celtics.

But when perennial All-Star Jayson Tatum was lost for the rest of the postseason with an Achilles tear, many outside the Knicks locker room felt the series was in the bag, but Game 5 showed exactly why it's going to be hard to get win No. 4 even with Tatum not in the lineup.

Six Celtics scored in double figures, and the NBA Finals MVP from last year, Jaylen Brown, had his best game of the series to lead Boston in their dominant 127-102 win on Wednesday night.

"They're defending champions, so obviously losing Tatum is a big blow for their team but we know they're more than capable of beating anyone on any night," Karl-Anthony Towns said. "We just didn’t do enough to win tonight."

The Celtics won thanks to two factors. First, there is their balanced offense.

Derrick White led all scorers with 34 points while hitting seven threes. Brown posted a near triple-double of 26 points, eight rebounds and 12 assists while starters Jrue Holiday and Al Horford scored in double figures. They also got big points from Payton Pritchard (17) and Luke Kornet (10) off the bench.

They shot 52 percent (45 percent from three) while winning the fastbreak and points-off-turnover battles. Those numbers trickled up at the end of the second quarter, but jumped in a "terrible" third quarter that saw defensive lapses left and right from the Knicks.

"They're the defending champs. Jayson Tatum went down, you thought they were just going to lay down? Nah," Josh Hart said. "You knew they were going to come out swinging. They came out with extreme confidence like they do every game. They came out with aggression. We didn’t do enough in the first half to end the half right and the third quarter was a failure."

And then there was the defense.

Boston forced the Knicks into 10 turnovers and 36 percent shooting for the game. But while a lot of the attention goes to the prolific three-point shooting up and down the Celtics' bench, New York recognizes how Boston's defense feeds into their offense, and they played into their hands on Wednesday night.

"They have a lot of shooting on the floor, that’s going to remain the same," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "The thing about their team is they are a great defensive team as well. We can’t be slow getting back and you can’t give open shots to them. We have to be closer with our closeouts and be better with our communication."

Jalen Brunson was asked after Game 3's rout if the fact that they were up 2-0 going into that game last Saturday affected the team's mentality and energy. The All-Star guard was candid and said he believed it subconsciously did. He was asked a similar question after Game 5's loss and if the team's energy was affected by the fact Tatum wasn't playing.

Brunson said no and put the onus on his team to find a way to beat the Celtics no matter what.

"Yes, they're missing a big piece but they're a team, a well-oiled machine, that has been in situations where they've played without him and they've played well," Brunson said. "We need to understand that. Trust the gameplan and play accordingly. It's that simple."

After Wednesday's win, the Celtics are 10-2 without Tatum this season. Two of those wins have come in the postseason, so this group can win without their superstar and the basketball world is on notice.

"It's easy to kind of write things off. Obviously unfortunate what happened to JT, but we've still got basketball to be played," Brown said after the game. "I believe in this group. Don't count us out just yet."

It was a quarter to forget for the Knicks on Wednesday night.

With the chance to close out their series with the defending champion Celtics in Boston, the Knicks laid an egg in the second half en route to a 127-102 loss. Boston turned defense into offense and forced their way onto the foul line to outscore the Knicks 32-17 after both teams went into halftime tied at 59 apiece.

"We played terrible. From the top down, it was a terrible quarter," Josh Hart said of his team's performance after the game.

Jalen Brunson,who scored 22 points but fouled out with seven minutes left in the fourth,was to the point when he saidthe Celtics "came out with such an urgency that we need."

Mikal Bridges scored seven points in the first quarter but scored just two more the rest of the game, put it on the team's defense.

"The first half, we just defensively wasn’t there, especially in transition," he explained. "They were making shots and they brought that to the third as well. We just kept fighting and they just kept going. We can’t keep putting ourselves in that situation, especially when it was close at the half."

Although the focus was on that lop-sided third quarter, many may forget the Knicks were up by as much as nine points in the second quarter. However, a massive 16-3 run put the Celtics in front briefly before the Knicks came back to go into halftime tied.

Coach Tom Thibodeau was asked what disappointed him the most about Wednesday's game and he brought it back to what he said in the pregame. The Knicks needed to play a complete game to beat this team, and that's not what they did in Game 5.

"We didn’t play for 48 minutes," he said. "The start of the second quarter, we didn’t play well, had a lead, didn’t play tough with the lead. Came out to start the third, didn’t play well there. Can’t afford to do that."

Although the Celtics shot just 44 percent in the third, they made twice as many threes as the Knicks and forced four New York turnovers. Boston was also able to get to the line 18 times in the third to the Knicks' eight, but no one blames the officiating for what happened. Every Knick who spoke after the game talked about the lack of communication on defense, especially in transition. The Celtics outscored the Knicks 9-4 in fastbreak points and scored 12 points off turnovers in the game.

Derrick White torched them for 13 points while five other Celtics scored at least three points in the frame.

"You've got to sprint back, you've got to communicate and we've got to be matched up," Thibodeau said. "If one guy is slow, you're going to give him an open shot. You can't do that against this team."

"We didn't get back on defense, didn't communicate at all," Bridges added.

The always-honest Hart was asked why the Knicks continue to have lapses in communication, and he could not come up with an answer.

"I wish I could tell you. I wish I could pinpoint it because then if it did, we can address it," he said. "That third quarter, there was a lot of frustration and that seeped into everything we were doing. We have to make sure we can control what we can control and that's our communication, that's our effort, that's our intensity and let everything else fall by the wayside. That's not what we did today. We have to learn from it, execute and be better Friday."

The Knicks now set their sights on Game 6 at MSG. New York has not clinched a series at home since 1999, but if they play like they did in Game 5, that streak will continue.

Boston shot 55 percent in the second half while the Knicks shot just 29 percent. They turned the ball over five more times than the Celtics in the second half and were outrebounded 23-19 in the third and fourth quarters.

All a recipe for a disappointing loss, but the Knicks are used to this sort of loss. After getting blown out at home in Game 3, the Knicks had arguably their most complete performance in Game 4.

"It's obvious we're disappointed. Wanted to give a better effort than that," Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 19 points but was hampered by four fouls, said. "Hopefully, the disappointment leads to more motivation, better energy. We'll regroup tomorrow and get ready for the next one."

The Knicks were flat in the second half as the Celtics beat New York, 127-102, in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Boston, without Jayson Tatum, forced a Game 6, still down 3-2 in the series, heading back to New York. They are 10-2 this season with Tatum. The Knicks' five-game road winning streak was snapped as they will look to close out a series at home for the first time since 1999 on Friday.

Here are the takeaways...

-With Tatum out with a ruptured Achilles, the Celtics put Kristaps Porzingis in the starting lineup, looking for offense from their big man. However, he had just one point on 0-for-3 shooting in the first quarter -- and saw a combined 12 minutes on the court for the rest of the game. Derrick White pulled his weight, though, hitting four three-pointers en route to scoring 14 points in the opening frame. Boston was 7-for-15 from three in the first quarter, which helped them stave off a 7-0 Knicks run with a 10-2 run of their own fueled by defense and offensive rebounding.

For the Knicks, they capitalized on defense by forcing five Celtics turnovers and lived in the mid-range. Mitchell Robinson also provided six points in the first quarter while hitting 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Yes, he was perfect from the line in the first quarter. Mikal Bridges led the team with seven points on 3-of-6 shooting while the rest of the team provided a balanced attack.

There was a stoppage of play with 3:30 left in the first when Josh Hart went up for a layup but Luke Kornet elbowed him above the eye, incidentally, that drew blood. Trainers had to stop the blood and bandage Hart up while he had to change his top and shorts.

-Karl-Anthony Towns scored five quick points to start the second quarter, but would pick up his third foul with 10 minutes to go in the first half. Coach Tom Thibodeau had to relegate his big man to the bench. But Robinson played a huge role in the second quarter -- and the first half. In 15 minutes, the center scored six points and came down with 11 rebounds (six offensive).

The Knicks got major contributions from the bench in the second quarter, going up by as much as nine points thanks to Miles McBride and Cameron Payne while Jalen Brunson was on the bench to start the frame. However, the Celtics would go on a 13-2 run to take a lead of their own before both teams began shooting lights out from all over the court.

New York shot 45 percent in the quarter while the Celtics shot 56 percent, including 5-for-10 from three. Jaylen Brown was the star of the second, scoring 12 of his 17 first-half points. Both teams went into halftime tied at 59-59.

-It was physical and a bit chippy in the first half, but it got really chippy at the start of the third quarter as Hart and Brown got into a shoving match after a Brown foul in the first couple of minutes.

Boston made it a point to drive to the basket and got the Knicks in the penalty with eight minutes and change left. They took 18 free throws in the quarter alone. However, the Celtics were 17-for-26 from the line through three.

But it wasn't just their offense; Boston's defense made the Knicks' offense seem out of sorts. Taking awkward shots and forcing turnovers. Both led to a 16-3 run that gave the Celtics a 14-point lead. Brunson would pick up his fifth foul with three minutes left in the quarter while KAT sat on the bench with four fouls.

Boston outscored the Knicks 32-17 in the frame.

-The fourth started much like the third, with the Celtics making threes and contesting every Knicks shot with relentless defense, pushing their lead to 22 points. Brunson started the frame with the five fouls and consistently drew fouls while driving to the hoop. However, the Knicks' defense was not up to snuff. Allowing open threes and the Celtics to outrebound them.

Brunson's night would be cut short after picking up his sixth foul with a little more than seven minutes remaining in the game. Without their captain, the Knicks slowly but surely wilted away before Thibodeau waved the white flag with less than three minutes remaining and the Celtics up 26 points.

-Brunson scored 22 points in 32 minutes before fouling out, while Hart provided 24 points -- making five threes -- coming down with seven rebounds and dishing two assists. OG Anunoby scored just six points on 1-of-12 shooting, had eight rebounds and two assists. Towns scored 19 points and had eight rebounds while Bridges, after a quick start, scored just nine points on 4-of-14 shooting.

-White had a game-high 34 points and made seven threes, while Brown had the best performance. His 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting, 12 assists, eight rebounds and a steal helped calm the Celtics without their best player. Al Horford (12 points), Jrue Holiday (14) contributed starting while Payton Pritchard (17) and Kornet (10) came up big off the bench. Kornet in particular was huge, grabbing nine rebounds and blocking seven shots.

Boston shot 52 percent from the field and 46 percent (21-46) from three.

Game MVP: Jaylen Brown

With Tatum down, last year's Finals MVP had to step up and he did on both ends of the floor. He was a game-high plus-28 on the court.

Highlights

Mikal Bridges with the first points of Game 5 💪

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/hd9spL2ox3

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 14, 2025

Mitchell Robinson makes a pair of free throws as the Celtics go to Hack-A-Mitch pic.twitter.com/zP4xEYuzS6

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 14, 2025

DEUUUUUCCCCCCCEEEEEE

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/cki9pM6UKR

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 14, 2025

Brunson ➡️ Bridges before the buzzer!

(via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/esSnFjTOwr

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 14, 2025

Jalen Brunson from deep in the corner 🎯

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/R4eZW2O9n8

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 15, 2025

What's next

The Knicks will look to close out the series at home on Friday night. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m.

Warriors' season was incomplete win with Steph watching from sidelines originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Five games didn’t determine the Western Conference semifinals between the Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves. One grab at a left hamstring around the nine-minute mark of the second quarter in the Warriors’ Game 1 win did. 

The Minnesota Timberwolves took care of business. Steve Kerr wouldn’t dare do it, and none of his Warriors players made excuses as to why they lost the series, even though they knew the answer. Steph Curry’s left hamstring strain ended the Warriors’ 2024-25 NBA season. The 121-110 Game 5 loss Wednesday night made it official.

Their last four games were all losses. All were without Curry. 

The season as a whole, before the injury bug took a bite too big for the Warriors to stomach, was a win. Just an incomplete one. 

“Quite a turnaround in our season from where we were a few months ago to giving ourselves a chance at having a swing of the plate for some real chances to go deep,” Kerr told reporters after the loss. “We were right there, and obviously it didn’t go our way.”

The Warriors’ 2024-25 season feels like it lasted 24 or 25 years. There were so many different storylines. The highs were high, the lows were low and there wasn’t much middle ground, except for their .500 record when they traded for Jimmy Butler. 

This was a team that started the season 12-3 and then didn’t just fall off a little, but took a nosedive. Curry called them “mid” after their final game in 2024 when they were blown out by the Cleveland Cavaliers at Chase Center. Their 16-16 record was mid to the definition, and the feeling around the team was much worse. 

Those feelings changed with the trade for Butler the night before the NBA deadline. Butler’s drama with the Miami Heat was over and the Warriors had their new co-star for Curry, sending Andrew Wiggins to South Beach as part of a multi-team trade. The Warriors were 25-24 at the time of the move, and back down to .500 a few hours later after losing to the 12-win Utah Jazz. 

Butler was introduced the next day in LA, and made his debut on Feb. 8 in Chicago. At that point, the Warriors were down to 25-26, good for 10th in the Western Conference. They went 23-8 the rest of the regular season and finished as a No. 7 seed, with real chances of being even higher. 

Between the regular season, NBA play-in tournament and playoffs, the Warriors from Butler’s debut to Wednesday’s second-round exit had a 29-15 record. 

Butler and Curry perfectly complemented each other, quickly forming a happy marriage. Butler and Draymond Green gave Golden State the best defense in the NBA. After a few months as a Warrior, Butler likes the outlook of a franchise he is signed to through the 2026-27 season. 

“Great,” Butler said. “A bunch of great guys that work incredibly hard, young talent that’s going to be incredibly successful in this league. It’s all about staying healthy, as it always is, and getting more and more comfortable playing with one another.”

Green declared the Warriors were going to win the championship during NBA All-Star Weekend. But he also told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole and Kerith Burke on an episode of “Dubs Talk” near the end of the regular season that he likes the Warriors’ chances even more next season. The Butler trade wasn’t a three-month move. It was a multi-year move, especially regarding next season. 

“Our ceiling, it is what it is,” Green said. “Now we’re a second-round team, second-round exit. It’s over, that’s what it is.”

A combination of a healthy Curry, Butler and Green isn’t a second-round exit to the Warriors. That’s a trio they trust can beat anybody in a playoff series. The Warriors have to get better around them. They feel like they can, and they’ll at least eye everything to do so. 

Butler announced himself as Robin early into his Warriors tenure, making it clear he’s No. 2 to Golden State’s Batman (Curry). He showed that to be true in all the best ways alongside him, and in some tough ways without him in the playoffs. Green was voted third for NBA Defensive Player of the Year and showed why in big postseason moments, but also got himself in foul trouble, was bested by some younger big men at times and toed the line of technical and flagrant fouls. 

Both are 35 years old, both are basketball geniuses and both looked gassed against the Timberwolves down the stretch. 

As for the youth, there were bright spots and there were question marks. 

It would be surprising to see Jonathan Kuminga back in a Warriors jersey as a restricted free agent, but is his potential still too much for the front office to let go of? Moses Moody finally fit into a role that suits him best next to Butler in the frontcourt, and then he disappeared for long stretches of the playoffs. Brandin Podziemski is a long-term starting guard and a favorite of Kerr’s for all the little things he does, though he will have to continue improving as a scorer. 

Finding Quinten Post with the 52nd pick and having him turn into an impact stretch five as a rookie was a huge win. But he also pushed Trayce Jackson-Davis out of the rotation for a large chunk of his second pro season, just to see their roles be reversed in the conference semifinals.

There are so many reasons to call the Warriors’ season a success. Disappointment, yes. A win, also yes. 

Being one of the final eight teams in the NBA is something the Warriors should pat themselves on the back for. It just all feels so wrong when No. 30 is subjected to sweatpants, shaking his head on the bench.

“I know we had a shot,” Kerr said. “I know we could have gone the distance. Maybe we wouldn’t have, but it doesn’t matter. Everything in the playoffs is about who stays healthy and who gets hot. Are you playing well at the right time? Do you have multiple guys step up in key games, make shots? And do you have good health?

“You see it every year, in every series.”

Steph had his taste of meaningful basketball. In the end, he had to stare at a four-course meal from the outside, tapping on the glass and waiting for the next chapter to begin.

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Kerr, Butler know Warriors had shot to win title with healthy Steph originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Many Warriors fans will walk away from the 2024-25 NBA season with one simple question in mind.

What if Steph Curry didn’t injure his hamstring in the playoffs?

After Golden State’s season-ending 121-110 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night at Target Center, coach Steve Kerr was asked if that same question will be on his mind in the coming days, too.

“Actually, I don’t even have to think. I know we had a shot,” Kerr told reporters. “I know we could have gone the distance. Maybe we wouldn’t have, but it doesn’t matter. Again, everything in the playoffs is about who stays healthy and who gets hot.

“Are you playing well at the right time? Do you have multiple guys step up in key games, make shots? And do you have good health? You see it every year, in every series. So there’s a little bit of luck involved, and we’ve been on both sides of that. It’s just part of it.”

Warriors star forward Jimmy Butler, who was forced to carry a much heavier load after Curry’s injury, came to a similar conclusion when asked if a healthy Golden State could contend for a title.

“I think we all know that. We all believe that,” Butler asserted. “The injuries are part of it. Nobody wants to be injured. It’s all about playing your basketball, the best basketball at the right time, and being healthy at the right time.

“Unfortunately, that wasn’t us, and we came up short.”

Now, the Warriors head into an important offseason with a chance to better position themselves to overcome any more potential injuries to their aging core next year and beyond.

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What Kerr told Podz after Warriors' season-ending loss to Timberwolves originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Coaches will always coach, particularly during trying moments.

Following the Warriors’ season-ending 121-110 Game 5 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday at Target Center, coach Steve Kerr shared some motivational words with guard Brandin Podziemski. 

Podziemski, who underwent a historic shooting slump through the first four games of the Western Conference semifinals, led Golden State’s scoring with 28 points on 11 of 19 shooting while adding six rebounds, four assists and two steals in Game 5.

Kerr was animated after a Podz turnover 😳 pic.twitter.com/vgnTJUegXc

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 15, 2025

Even though Podziemski’s revival was too little too late, Kerr acknowledged the 22-year-old culminated his postseason run by becoming a more seasoned player.

“This was a great experience for him,” Kerr told reporters after the loss. “There were times in this series where he was hesitant to shoot, even tonight he was 4-for-6. 

“I thought he could’ve gotten 10 or 11 threes off, and we needed those. And I told him that after the game, I said, ‘When we get back here next season, you are not going to turn down a single shot.’”

In hopes of keeping the season alive and giving star guard Steph Curry an opportunity to return to action, Kerr leaned heavily on Podziemski. 

Podz knocks down an early trey 👌pic.twitter.com/Vx5pugDwbE

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 15, 2025

Outside of wing Jimmy Butler’s team-high 42 minutes, Podziemski followed with 39 minutes, responding positively to a series that challenged him physically and mentally.

“And that’s part of the playoffs. I lived it as a player. It’s a mind game,” Kerr continued. “I call it something more profane, but the playoffs are a mind game. 

“It’s really easy to lose your confidence, teams throw different schemes at you. You had a bad game, and everyone is talking about your shooting percentage. You feel like you’re on an island. I’ve been there. It’s great for Brandin to go through that and then finish the series with a great game because he has to understand this is what it feels like.”  

As Kerr emphasized, the pressures of the NBA playoffs are incomparable to those of the regular season. 

Podziemski’s slump, for one, is proof of that.

“Nobody cares in January if you’re 4-for-20, but in the playoffs, everyone is writing about it, everyone is talking about it,” Kerr concluded. 

“You feel exposed, and that’s a big part of the playoff experience is understanding you got to keep firing, you have to stay aggressive [and] keep your confidence any way you can.” 

Kerr will be expecting more of that from Podziemski next season.

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Why there's no shame in Warriors being eliminated by Timberwolves originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

MINNEAPOLIS – From the moment Stephen Curry limped off the floor after playing 13 promising minutes in Game 1, the Warriors were crawling uphill in mud against the Minnesota Timberwolves. They had to know winning even one more game, perhaps creating a jolt of post-Steph confidence, would require an extraordinary performance.

No such thing occurred. The Warriors were not extraordinary enough. Not in Game 2 or Game 3 or Game 4, all losses with similar characteristics.

It was no different Wednesday night in Game 5, facing elimination in the Western Conference semifinals, which ended with the Warriors being thumped into the offseason by a 117-110 loss that was much more decisive than the score indicates.

The better team won Game 5 and the series, sweeping the last four games.

“I thought Game 3 was the key to the series,” coach Steve Kerr said. “We’re at 1-1, and we got a six-point lead in the mid-fourth [quarter], and they made huge plays down the stretch. That was the one we needed to get.

“And then I thought the last two games, they broke free offensively. And they shot 63 percent tonight. We couldn’t stop them.”

There is no shame or dishonor about Golden State’s effort before a rollicking sellout crowd at Target Center. The Warriors accomplished their No. 1 defensive priority, doing a marvelous job of preventing the redoubtable Anthony Edwards from shooting them off the floor. Doubling and trapping, they forced Edwards to move the ball.

Edwards quickly caught on and improvised, turning the game over to his teammates, who did a terrific job of shredding Golden State’s formerly respectable defense. The Warriors in the first half limited Edwards to six points but went into the locker room trailing 62-47.

“We threw a lot of stuff at him,” Kerr said of Edwards who finished with 22 points and a game-high 12 assists. “Box-and-one on one possession, a lot of zone-trapping in the back court. But they’re a hell of a team. They’ve got shooting everywhere. And that’s the name of the game in the modern NBA.”

The Timberwolves shot 62.8 percent from the field, including 41.9 percent from deep. Six different players scored in double figures, led by Julius Randle’s 29 points. Golden State’s top-five offense was no match.

“They moved the ball incredibly well, got into the paint,” Jimmy Butler III said. “I don’t feel like we took too much away from them. We talked about what we wanted to do. We did it in some spurts, but not the entire game – which we needed to do. They played well. You’ve got to give them that.”

The Warriors were appreciably outplayed by a team that is bigger, faster, deeper, more athletic and more skilled. Quite simply, superior. The Timberwolves, for much of this series, and surely in clinching Game 5, looked as if they were from a higher league.

“They got a chance. They’ve got a real shot,” Draymond Green said of the Wolves. “Anytime you got No. 2 [Randle] that can just go get it, you give yourself a chance at the go make it happen and get a ring. The way Julius has been playing … he’s been lights out.”

Game 5 was such disaster that the arena DJ turned to soundtrack that practically mocked the Warriors and the Bay Area, blasting such artists Too Short, Mac Dre and E-40 on what felt like a rotational loop.

Golden State’s veteran starters – Butler, Green and Buddy Hield – never mounted much of a threat in Game 5, combining for 35 points on 10-of-31 shooting from the field, including 1 of 13 from beyond the arc. Butler was minus-17 over 41 minutes, Green was minus-9 over 36 minutes and Hield finished minus-13 over 30 minutes.

What little offense Golden State stirred during the heart of the game came mostly from Brandin Podziemski (a playoff-career high 28 points in by far his best game of the series) and Jonathan Kuminga (26 points, his third consecutive productive outing).

This always was going to be a tough series, but there is no doubt Curry’s presence could have made it more competitive. Whether that would have been enough to tip the balance toward the Warriors is questionable. Once Curry was sidelined, the Warriors needed to win at least one of their home games to give themselves legitimate hope. Dropping both games and returning to Minnesota facing elimination put them in position to get smacked.

Two-plus months of quality basketball took the Warriors this far. About as far as they could go, considering their compromised roster. Even through the disappointment, they can hold their heads high.

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Kornet helps save Celtics' season with career night in Game 5 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

BOSTON — The dogs were barking all night at TD Garden during the Boston Celtics’ season-saving Game 5 win over the New York Knicks.

While Derrick White (34 points) and Jaylen Brown (26 points) led the Jayson Tatum-less C’s in the scoring column, Luke Kornet was the difference-maker in Wednesday’s 127-102 rout. The big man recorded 10 points, nine rebounds, and a career-high seven blocks in 26 minutes off the bench.

“He was great. Just both ends of the floor,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “His presence was good… He made some big-time plays for us.”

The Celtics took control of Game 5 in the third quarter, outscoring the Knicks 32-17 after being tied at the half. It’s no coincidence that Boston’s dominance began when Kornet replaced Kristaps Porzingis.

Porzingis, who started in Tatum’s place despite an ongoing battle with a mysterious illness, struggled mightily in his 12 minutes. He logged only one point and was a -12, making him the only Celtic to finish in the negatives.

According to Mazzulla, Porzingis didn’t play in the second half because he had difficulty breathing. The setback is concerning for the already shorthanded Celtics, but it opened the door for Kornet to give Boston a much-needed spark with its season at stake.

“He was unbelievable,” White said of Kornet. “He came in and just seemed to always be in the right position. “Seven blocks is crazy. He was unbelievable tonight and stepped up when we needed him.

“Yeah, I was barking with him,” White added. “It’s just fun seeing him do that.”

It was more than just a career night for Kornet. The 29-year-old made NBA history, becoming the first player with at least 10 points, nine rebounds, seven blocks, and a perfect shooting performance (5-5 FG) in a playoff game. Anthony Davis (2023), Robert Williams (2022), and Draymond Green (2016) are the only other players to notch at least 10 points, nine boards, and seven blocks in a postseason game in the last 10 years.

“Luke was huge tonight, defensively and offensively,” Brown said. “He was stellar, and that’s the type of performance we need in the playoffs.”

After the win, Kornet credited Brown and veteran big man Al Horford with helping the team reset after Tatum’s Achilles tear.

“Understanding the situation and understanding that we have a game to play, and to go out and represent ourselves well and play hard,” he said. “I feel like those two led the way in that.”

Winning the final two games of this Eastern Conference semifinals series without Tatum is a tall task, never mind making it through another two rounds. But if Kornet continues to provide a significant boost, and both White and Brown step up in starring roles, the reigning champions can’t be counted out.

With Porzingis’ status uncertain, Kornet will likely be asked to give the C’s more big minutes in Friday’s do-or-die Game 6 at Madison Square Garden. Coverage for the matchup begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston with Celtics Pregame Live.