SAN FRANCISCO — Steve Kerr didn’t get much sleep Monday night.
How could he?
Kerr had a lot on his mind after the Warriors squandered a seven-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter of Game 4. They had opportunities down the stretch to pull off a series-tying win, but couldn’t catch a break, resulting in a 104-101 loss in Los Angeles.
In the immediate aftermath of the defeat that put the Warriors in a 3-1 series hole and on the brink of elimination, Kerr said he thought the Lakers “took some flops and were rewarded” down the stretch.
“I’ll have to see the replays. Maybe I’m wrong,” Kerr said. “Maybe those were all illegal screens but it didn’t feel like it watching the game.”
One day later, Kerr doubled down on his post-Game 4 comments.
“There was definitely some gamesmanship,” Kerr said after a team meeting Tuesday afternoon. “And look, I give them credit. If you can sell a call in this league, then do it. You do whatever it takes to win.”
Kerr took issue with the foul called on Draymond Green near the 3:29 mark of the fourth quarter when the game was tied at 96. Green attempted to set a screen on Lakers guard Lonnie Walker IV, who tumbled to the floor upon contact. After the play stopped, Green waved his hands in disagreement and appeared frustrated with the call.
Kerr sided with Green on Tuesday, saying that was “really, really a tough call.
“It’s a blatant flop. I mean, he just takes a dive and the ref bought it,” Kerr said. “And like I said, you give them credit but you lament the fact that as a league we’re gonna reward that type of play with the game and the series, all that stuff at stake and you would hope that the officials would recognize when a guy just takes a dive.”
The NBA tried to crack down on flopping more than a decade ago and even instituted a fining system for repeat offenders who exaggerate falls to the floor that might fool officials into calling a foul. But it largely goes unregulated.
Kerr said the NBA should more strictly enforce rules to deter players from flopping, similar to what FIBA has done to squash the issue.
“We have the ability to do the same thing in the NBA if we want. I think we should address it because players are so smart. The entire regular season is about gamesmanship and trying to fool the refs and this is how it’s been for a while and it’s up to us as a league, do we want to fix this?
“We can do better in terms of cleaning up the flopping. In the meantime, give the Lakers credit for the plays they’ve been able to sell.”
Another defensive nod
For the eighth time in nine years, Draymond Green has earned a spot on the league’s All-Defensive Team.
Green on Tuesday was named to this season’s All-Defensive Second Team, making him only the fifth player in NBA history drafted in the second round or later to collect at least eight All-Defensive honors.
Green, a central piece to the Warriors’ defense, averaged 8.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.01 steals in 73 games this season. He also recorded team-highs in blocks (60) and deflections (199).
The Warriors posted a team-best 109.2 defensive rating with Green on the court and a team-worst 115.3 rating when he’s off it (minimum 10 games).
“He should have been first-team,” Kerr said. “But it’s a great honor to be on the Second Team. Draymond has long been one of the premier defenders in the league.
“The season he had this year, playing in 73 games, giving us the effort he did night in and night out, holding down the fort in a season where we were missing guys left and right. He really anchored our defense and played at such a high level and showed that he’s still got a lot left in the tank.”
Green was joined on the Second Team by Heat center Bam Adebayo, Raptors forward O.G. Anunoby, Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks and Celtics guard Derrick White. First Team selections belonged to Bulls guard Alex Caruso, Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, Grizzlies forward and Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr., Bucks center Brook Lopez and Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley.
