NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: ROCKETS vs WARRIORS

April 28, 2025

Steve Kerr

Game 4 - Pregame Media Conference

Q. Hey, Steve, Steph won the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. In the past it's gone to Mike Conley, Jrue Holiday, great players but not in the same tier of superstar Steph. What is it about his leadership style, as a teammate that's different from other superstars in this league?

STEVE KERR: Well, what makes Steph unique is just his blend of human I amity and humor and confidence. He just sets a great tone every day. Loves practice. Loves the work. So you come in, and the vibe is where it should be day after day after day because of Steph.

Q. Can you give an update on what Jimmy's status is for this game?

STEVE KERR: We're hopeful that he'll play but we'll warm up first and we'll see.

Q. Did he go through the shootaround?

STEVE KERR: Yeah, it was very light. We just walked through stuff.

Q. Know you said you talked to Rick about how many minutes he might be able to play. What did that conversations go like and do you expect him to be on a minutes restriction?

STEVE KERR: He's not on a minutes restriction. It will just be based on out he's feeling.

Q. Houston, obviously, down 2-1. Do you think they are going to come out with a lot of desperation. How do you guys match that tonight?

STEVE KERR: A lot of desperation of our own. I mean, that's what these playoffs are all about. It's just how hard teams are playing. You can see how physical the games are around the league.

You know, when a team is down, you saw Denver the other night, down 2-1 and how hard they played, this is what it's about, you know. Responding to the circumstances and you know, if you're up, like we are, if you're coming off a win like you are, we are, you have top respond to those circumstances, too. It's about the force and the effort level and getting every loose ball, every rebound, and bringing the fight.

Q. As you probably noticed. The Lakers played Luka and LeBron heavy minutes yesterday. Philosophically how do you balance the urgency of these games with the reality of Steph being 37 and Draymond and Jimmy, how you sort of tip those scales.

STEVE KERR: Every coach has to coach his own team based on circumstances, based on what that coach knows, and how he feels about his team and how his players are doing and all that stuff.

So we all have very difficult decisions to make every game.

And I have no doubt that you know, if a coach played his bench and lost, then the narrative would be how could you not play your starters more.

I know how you guys work, Ron. (Laughter) I know how this game works.

But that's the game. That's the way this all plays out. We all have to base our decisions on our gut, and you know, you get judged on the results and that's perfectly fair. But we all have to decide, you know, what that means.

Q. Last game, you had Steph at I think 40, right at 40.

STEVE KERR: Yeah.

Q. What's your ideal target for him, given his age, but given the importance of these games?

STEVE KERR: Well, with Jimmy out, we knew we were going to have to play Steph more. So if Jimmy plays tonight and looks like himself, then hopefully we can get Steph down closer to 35.

Q. You obviously always want Jimmy to play, but winning without him, getting guys other minutes, maybe expanding the rotation a little bit like you did last game; there a good thing out of that? Can you carry some of that from some of these guy who hadn't be playing as much into the rest of the series and the rest of the playoffs?

STEVE KERR: I think guys gain confidence from playoff success, and they gain it individually. They also gain it as a team. I think one of the things that happens in the playoffs, too, you is settle in after the first couple games and it becomes more normalized. You know, playoff basketball. You get used to the vibe and the feel and the intensity and when guys have a little success early on, I think it bodes well for them to continue playing with confidence.

Q. How do you feel about your offense facing that double big lineup from Houston and when Adams is on the floor, do you think you'll go to a hack-Adams kind of situation?

STEVE KERR: Well, we did it last game based on what was happening, I think we scored one point or one basket in about seven or eight minutes. We are really doing it just to change the flow of the game and see if we could disrupt things a little bit. You know, I didn't really work but it's a tactic we always have in our back pocket. So their big lineup has been good for them. Especially defensively. And obviously they rebound well. So we have to be prepared for that.

Q. What's the difference between what you've seen from Jimmy Saturday versus today, and also, what did you see that made you even comfortable considering him coming back after such a hard fall?

STEVE KERR: Tonight or the other night?

Q. Tonight.

STEVE KERR: Before Game 3 you mean?

Q. Or did you even really consider him before Game 3?

STEVE KERR: It was a possibility, and you know, up until game time but yeah, I mean, I just listen to Rick on all this stuff. That's his area. He and Jimmy have been working together every day since the injury, and so I'd trust those guys. I trust Jimmy, and we'll see if he can go tonight, and we'll play it by ear, as he plays, as we see how feels.

But it's always the performance team's decision on these things.

Q. Did Rick see something two days later that makes him feel more comfortable that you so co share?

STEVE KERR: For sure, yeah. That's why his status has been, I would say, upgraded, even though he's still questionable. I think there's a much more reasonable chance for him to play tonight than there was in Game 3.

Q. You're closing lineup that was really effective in Game 3 what worked for that lineup and how might that change if Jimmy can play?

STEVE KERR: We'll see. Every game's different, and we have to read the game. Gary was working. Getting him the ball in the pocket against their blitz was very effective. I imagine they will have a counter to that tonight, and so that may necessitate a different tactic, different lineup. We have to read it.

Q. So we're in a more physical series this season. So how do you prepare your team? How do you motivate your team to get ready for a physical game like this one?

STEVE KERR: Just like punch them a couple times. (Laughter) wrap them up. Hug them a lot. Remind them, you'll feel a lot of that tonight.

No, it's film work and it's playoff basketball. It is physical. The guys know that, and they are ready. They are ready to go.

Q. Saturday was your 10st win as a head coaches in League in the playoffs. What would you tell yourself ten years ago to be successful?

STEVE KERR: What would I tell myself ten years ago? I hope Steph Curry is healthy for the next 11 years. When you start out, you know, you don't really know what to expect but what became apparent pretty quickly was that I was coaching a group of incredible players who are not only talented but really competitive.

That's the key. This last, really, 13 years, I would say, the two years prior to me being here, were playoff runs. It's just a lot of great, great talented players. There's been some continuity that's helped us quite a bit based on Steph and Dray, and before that, Andre, Klay. Doesn't happen very often anymore. If you follow the league, people move around all the time. It's pretty remarkable that this group has stayed together for as long as it has.