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Steve Kerr defended Klay Thompson's shot selection late in the Golden State Warriors' 128-123 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday. Thompson missed a 3-point shot that would have tied the game with around 10 seconds left.
In his postgame interview, Kerr explained that he had no problem with Thompson taking the shot. The four-time champion coach said that he trusts one of the best 3-point shooters in NBA history in this kind of situation.
"It was just like a little hit and handbag-type play," Kerr said. "You're just trying to confuse the defense and maybe get a mix-up on a switch. And at that point, if you have an open three, down three, no timeouts left, but you go ahead and take, especially Klay. He's hit that shot many times.
"So, I'll take a look at the film. It was a decent look under the circumstances. Maybe not the best one, but one I'll definitely live with Klay Thompson shooting an open three, albeit pretty deep."
With just 13 seconds left in the game, the Golden State Warriors were down by three. Klay Thompson inbounded the ball to Steph Curry, who passed it back to Thompson. The five-time All-Star was way beyond the arc and nearly at the logo.
Thompson bricked the attempt, with Nikola Jokic securing the rebound. The Nuggets iced the game at the free-throw line to give the defending champs their first loss of the season. It was a bounce-back game for Denver following their surprising loss to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.
Klay Thompson still playing in limited minutes
Klay Thompson has fully recovered from his two major injuries, but the Golden State Warriors are still being cautious. Thompson played in just one preseason game and was put under a minute restriction to start the season. He played just 20 minutes on Opening Night against the LA Lakers.
The four-time champ had 18 points, two rebounds and three assists in the Warriors' blowout win. He played 24 minutes on Friday in the loss to the Nuggets. He scored 16 points, with four rebounds and three assists. With Golden State's depth, they have no problem waiting for Thompson to be fully conditioned.
Warriors' comeback fell short against Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets built a 20-point lead over the Golden State Warriors on Friday. Nikola Jokic was nearly unstoppable, posting another triple-double with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. The Warriors made a late comeback, but fell short in the end.
Steph Curry led Golden State with 34 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Andrew Wiggins had 23 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green both had good games in limited minutes. Thompson missed the game-tying 3-point shot with less than 10 seconds left in the game.
Meanwhile, Bruce Brown Jr. had a huge impact in the absence of Jamal Murray. Brown put up 20 points in a spot start, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 17 points.
The Nuggets play against the OKC Thunder on Saturday in their first back-to-back of the season. The Warriors will finish their three-game homestand to start the season on Sunday against the Sacramento Kings.
