Jordan Poole: “It’s a playoff atmosphere and you can’t back down from anything”

Postgame Roundup: See what the Warriors had to say following their loss against the Suns on Wednesday night.

The Golden State Warriors lost to the Phoenix Suns by a score of 107-103. Despite the loss, the Warriors showed up to this playoff-like atmosphere with the high-energy and the intensity that has been lacking in recent games. Unfortunately, it was not enough to overcome the missed opportunities and the turnovers that would eventually lead to Golden State’s late game demise. Here’s some of the takeaways from the Warriors postgame pressers:

Steve Kerr Discusses the Game

Head coach Steve Kerr began his presser by praising the team’s competitiveness. Although the Warriors started off slowly, they picked up the energy on both sides of the ball and it remained that way for the rest of the game. Offensively, the ball was moving and players were making purposeful cuts to the basket. However, they couldn’t capitalize on the opportunities that they created as they went on to miss several open layups that proved costly at the end of the game. Kerr was most proud of his team’s defense though. Golden State played with a focus worthy of their 3rd ranked defensive rating as they forced Phoenix to shoot 25% from the three-point line and 41.3% from the field.

Here’s what Kerr had to say about the game:

Warriors Players Discuss the Game

Jordan Poole sparked the Warriors offense early with 15 points in the first quarter. His hot shooting kept the Dubs’ offense alive as he finished the game with 38 points, 7 assists, and 9 rebounds. In his presser, Poole put a special emphasis on his rebounds as he believed that those are the winning plays that every successful team needs to make. Meanwhile, Draymond Green said he felt better physically on Wednesday night and it showed in his spectacular defensive performance. His early defense on Chris Paul set the tone on that side of the ball as his activity level allowed him to blow up the Suns’ offense and force them into tough shots. The combination of Poole’s scoring and Green’s defensive energy had the entire Chase Arena fired up and was a very positive sign for the team moving towards the playoffs.

Here’s what the Warriors players had to say after the game:

News and Notes

Gary Payton II played a great overall game. He always brings it with the on-ball defense, but on Wednesday night, he provided 10 points of scoring on several well-timed cuts to the basket. At one point in the second half, Payton tweaked his ankle and limped off the court during a dead ball but was able to return to the game.

Here’s an update on Payton’s injury:

Poole also had an injury scare during Wednesday’s game. Here’s what Kerr had to say about it:

Quote of the Night

The quotes of the night belong to Draymond Green and Jordan Poole. There was a lot of jawing between the two teams and Green and Poole made sure to let them know they aren’t the ones to be messed with:

Recap

With this loss, the Warriors move to 48-29 on the season and currently slot in 4th place in the Western Conference standings. Golden State remains tied with the Dallas Mavericks for the 3rd seed and leads the 5th place Denver Nuggets by 2 games. Up next, the Dubs will play another home matchup against the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.