Steve Kerr isn't too bothered by the notion that the Minnesota Timberwolves knew what play the Warriors were running with 11.9 seconds remaining in Golden State's 114-110 loss on Sunday night at Target Center.
The Warriors coach was asked about it Tuesday, after Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards told reporters following Sunday's game that assistant coach Micah Nori alerted Minnesota players to be ready for the out-of-bounds play-call that resulted in a Klay Thompson missed 3-pointer.
"I think we've run the play one time this year," Kerr told reporters before the Warriors' game against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center. "We ran it late in the [Los Angeles] Lakers game about six weeks ago and got a three. I am someone who kind of thinks that if a play works you can go to it, but you don't want to run it every time or the team's going to know.
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"But there's great scouting these days. Every team, we have 12 assistant coaches, we know what other teams like to run at the end of games, too. So generally you go into a game and there's four or five things that a team might run at the end of the game and that's part of it. We all kind of know what each other likes to do and we get ready for it.
"So [the Timberwolves] did a good job preparing for it and that play has other options. When you design stuff, you're always looking at two or three different things that you can get out of it. Didn't get a great look, but Klay got a decent look."
Shortly after the Timberwolves' comeback win, Edwards sat at his locker and praised Nori for knowing exactly what play the Warriors would go to down three points in the final seconds.
Golden State Warriors
"Micah [is a] genius," Edwards told reporters, via Timberwolves reporter Dane Moore. "We call time out. They didn't even go to the coach's huddle. Micah came to our huddle and was like, 'This is what they going to run, be ready for this,' and they came out and ran the exact play. Micah is a genius."
Thompson got a good look at a potential game-tying 3-pointer, but Steph Curry's screen on Kyle Anderson wasn't good enough, as the veteran Timberwolves forward was able to affect Thompson's shot enough.
Edwards secured the rebound after Thompson's miss and was fouled with 5.1 seconds remaining. He made one of his two free-throw attempts, sealing the Timberwolves' win.
Kerr knows better than anyone that sports is about gamesmanship, so he can't be upset with the Timberwolves sleuthing out his play-call.