NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: ROCKETS vs WARRIORS

April 28, 2025

Steve Kerr

Game 4 - Postgame Media Conference

Warriors 109, Rockets 106

Q. Your thoughts on Brandin going on a tear tonight to keep you guys in it, of course Jimmy Butler waking up at the end?

STEVE KERR: Both guys were amazing. Brandin is big-time. Second-year player, but plays like a 10th-year guy. Got so much poise and confidence. He was obviously a key to everything.

Then Jimmy getting to the line 12 times, really carried us especially in that fourth quarter. It was just an incredible performance by our guys against a great team that gave us everything we could handle tonight.

It's a big-time win.

Q. Specifically on Jimmy, he definitely looked like he was not 100%. Did you notice that? What do you think he went through, he played 40 minutes?

STEVE KERR: We had to have him. If this were the regular season, he'd probably miss another week or two. But it's the Playoffs. He's Jimmy Butler, so...

This is what he does. The rebound at the end was just incredible, the elevation, the force. Then, of course, knocking down the free throws to clinch it. Jimmy was just amazing.

Q. What was going through your head when you saw that the final defensive stop unfold, then the Jimmy rebound?

STEVE KERR: Well, what was going through my head was call a timeout. Either way, made or miss, we wanted to get the timeout so we would get Steph back in.

I just thought Dray played phenomenal defense with five fouls most of the fourth quarter. He's out there. So he did a brilliant job. We were able to get Sengun forced out a little bit further than he had been most of the fourth. Made it a tougher shot. Jimmy made an amazing rebound.

Q. I know you don't like to use the word 'solved'. To take a 3-1 lead with everyone they've thrown at you, do you feel like you have all the answers at this point?

STEVE KERR: No, no, we don't have any answers (smiling).

Every game is different. Tonight they just hammered us with Adams 26 minutes. I bet that's a season high for him. I don't know. Raymond would know if he actually did his job as PR director. Yes, correct? Thank you. Stepping into Playoff mode, Playoff Raymond (laughter)?

But no, I just think every game's different. They made big adjustments tonight, playing that double big lineup more, playing Green less. But next game could be entirely different, as well.

All these things unfold differently each game, and you have to adapt and adjust while it's going on.

Q. Not to overdramatize that rebound, but how difficult is that come baseline? Adams he had to leap over. What type of play is that?

STEVE KERR: Just looked like he was coming in in slow motion. Just the elevation... Looked to me like he was just head and shoulders above everybody. That's a massive team they have out there.

Yeah, kind of what makes Jimmy who he is, is he just does so many things. He makes so many big plays. He gets fouled by Brooks on the corner, on the push, makes the three free throws, gets the stop, makes two more free throws. He's Playoff Jimmy for a reason.

Q. You talked about how Jimmy Butler has clarified his role, Brandin has benefited. Tonight was there a way you could tell Brandin was benefiting from Jimmy being out there?

STEVE KERR: He got off to a great start, Brandin did. I thought we played really fast early in the game. That allowed us to get some openings against their defense. Brandin knocked down a couple shots. Felt really good about his game. Really took off from there.

Q. After the game on TNT Jimmy said he'd die for these guys, he got his joy back. From what you know of him, what does that mean? How does he bring joy differently than any other player that you've coached?

STEVE KERR: We have a great vibe here. Steph sets an amazing tone. Jimmy arrived, he was instantly welcomed by Steph and the group, and vice versa. Jimmy really wanted to be here.

It's just a great, great match. He was exactly what we needed. We've given him a group of guys to play with that I think he really enjoys. Yeah, it's been fun to watch it all unfold.

Q. What can you say about Draymond's night and your ability to survive without him?

STEVE KERR: Again, this is what the Playoffs are about, injuries, foul troubles. Guys had to step up. I thought Quinten Post gave us really great minutes. We just had to survive some minutes. Loon. Trayce gave us almost six minutes to help us survive, buy Draymond some time on the bench.

Everybody just did what they had to do to keep us going.

Q. Temperamentally, does it seem Draymond has not taken the bait so far this year? Tonight attacking him after he gets the foul.

STEVE KERR: Draymond always walks the line. He always teeters on that line. He's an emotional force, a physical force. He just can't cross the line. He knows that. He's just done a great job of playing through the frustration.

This is a tough series for him. The way the game is being played, they've kind of taken the ball out of his hands a little bit. I just think he's done a really good job of dealing with the frustration and competing. The last two games, his fourth quarter defense keyed everything.

Q. You said Brandin plays like a 10th-year guy. What about him allows him to do that? His first couple months of the season, he clearly wasn't playing the way he played last year. Did you ever have a doubt he could take this next step forward?

STEVE KERR: No, we saw last year what he could do. We fully expected him to round into form.

But Jimmy's arrival was huge for him. Again, the pieces fell into place for BP, for Moses. They were able to play off of Jimmy.

The thing with Brandin, we know he's at his best when he's a secondary play-maker, playing off the weak side, running through the catch, creating shots in the paint for himself and others.

Once we got Jimmy, we were running a lot of offense through Jimmy, and that allowed Brandin to play on the other side. I think he's at his best when he can do that.

Q. What did you make of Buddy's game, his addition to the starting lineup?

STEVE KERR: Unit was great. Great start to the first quarter, great start to the third quarter. I think that unit gave us more speed, more shooting, and it forced some matchups for them to make the game a little more difficult.

Then of course, they counter by bringing in their monsters together. We have to deal with that. There's a lot going on in this series, for sure.

Q. Closeout situation coming in a couple days. What challenges do closeout games present?

STEVE KERR: They're always the hardest ones. Every team that's in the Playoffs, especially a team like Houston, 2 seed, 52 wins, big-time team. They got a lot of pride, great coach. They're going to be ready. We got a long way to go. We know Game 5 will be the toughest one yet.

Q. With all you've seen, as you feel out these situations, when the game is on the line, a team posts up Draymond, on a scale of 1 to 100, how good do you feel about your chances?

STEVE KERR: 1 being great or 100 being great?

Q. 100 being great.

STEVE KERR: I feel like 100. He's the best defender I've ever seen in my life. He rises to the occasion. On top of being a great defender, he's an incredible competitor. We've seen it. I've seen it for 11 years. Game on the line, Draymond making a stop. It's like having Steph Curry take the shot.

Thank you.