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0 On Monday night, the Golden State Warriors managed to beat the Utah Jazz 129-107 without their coach Steve Kerr. Klay Thompson led the scoring with 26 points while Stephen Curry had 25 points and made five 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. Kerr was in Serbia attending the funeral service for Golden State assistant coach Dejan Milojevic, who had a heart attack during a team dinner in Salt Lake City on January 16. Kerr, assistant coaches Chris DeMarco and Ron Adams, general manager Mike Dunleavy, team liaison Zaza Pachulia, and team vice president Rick Celebrini were among those who attended the service.
Although the trip was tough for the Warriors, Curry acknowledged that it was weird without Steve. However, he also mentioned that it allowed them to acknowledge and celebrate the life of Dejan and honor him through their play. Assistant coach Kenny Atkinson led the team, and they managed to secure their fifth straight victory, moving them above .500.
Curry’s seven 3-pointers included a 33-footer that capped a 14-5 run and made it 114-96. He finished with ten assists, making this his third straight game with seven or more 3-pointers. Thompson, on the other hand, scored his most points since having 30 against Chicago on January 12. Andrew Wiggins added 17 points, and Jonathan Kuminga had 14, making this his 31st straight game in double figures, for the Warriors.
Jordan Clarkson had 22 points, but only two in the second half. Collin Sexton also scored 22 points, while Lauri Markkanen added 19 for Utah. Draymond Green made 12 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists, leading the Warriors’ defensive efforts.
Seven Warriors made 3-pointers in the first quarter, with Curry’s pull-up 3 giving them a 28-17 lead. Utah scored baskets on seven straight possessions to move in front, but the Warriors took a 63-55 lead at halftime on Green’s 41-foot heave just before the buzzer.
The new Jazz starting lineup was ineffective after they traded away mainstays Simone Fontecchio, Kelly Olynyk, and Ochai Agbaji last week, primarily for draft assets. Despite this, Utah coach Will Hardy believes they have a lot of work to do in terms of cleaning up some of the guys’ roles and trying to help them understand how they can help each other.
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