The Warriors fell short of a four-game sweep against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on Sunday in a Game 4 matchup that came down to the wire, and there’s one play call coach Steve Kerr wishes he could have back.
Golden State made it close thanks to some clutch plays in the fourth quarter of the opening-round NBA playoff game, outscoring the Nuggets 32-28 in the final 12 minutes after trailing by nine to end the third.
It wasn’t enough, however, as they fell to the Nuggets 126-121 and now lead the series 3-1.
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There were plenty of big moments from the game’s final minutes as the Warriors attempted to complete the comeback, but Kerr said he wishes he could have a do-over on the inbound lob from Otto Porter Jr. to Andrew Wiggins with just over 30 seconds left in the game.
“I would like that play call back, frankly,” Kerr told reporters after the game. “There’s 33 seconds, so we’re thinking a two-for-one. If we get a two-for-one, then we can tie the game and have a chance to win it at the end. It’s a good two-for-one situation, but the lob wasn’t there.”
At the 1:21 mark of the fourth quarter, things were looking good for Golden State after Steph Curry made a layup and then sank a 21-foot jump shot to take a 121-119 lead and give the Dubs a 68 percent chance to win the game.
Denver went on to jump back ahead 123-121, and everything came down to the inbound pass following a Warriors timeout.
Golden State didn’t quite draw it up how viewers thought the play would go, and the lob pass from Porter Jr. over the top to Andrew Wiggins was snatched away by Austin Rivers, leading to a corner trey by Will Barton on the next possession.
And that was the game.
“If I could do it over again, I’d probably draw up something different, but they made a great defensive play and I give them credit,” Kerr said.
Following the game-defining inbound pass, NBA Twitter reacted to the play.
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Kerr and the Warriors weren't able to complete the sweep, but they'll have another chance to get it right against the Nuggets in Game 5 at Chase Center on Wednesday.