The Golden State Warriors avenged their prior loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 114-106 victory in an NBA regular season game, thanks in part to some strategic adjustments from head coach Steve Kerr. Missing Andrew Wiggins due to injury, Kerr revamped the starting lineup, prioritizing players who could complement Stephen Curry’s offensive brilliance.
Forced to make some changes, Kerr inserted Gary Payton II, Buddy Hield, and Draymond Green into the starting five alongside Jonathan Kuminga and Curry. The strategy paid off, sparking a more cohesive and dynamic Warriors offense.
“Without Wiggins, we wanted to start Gary on [Anthony Edwards] and just have our best defender on him right away,” Kerr said via The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. “Gary’s also historically good with Steph, and then we just felt like we had to get Buddy going.”
“The best way to do it is to put him out there with that group,” Kerr said about Hield. “If Buddy is out there with Steph, that makes the game easier for him. That’s why we went the route we did. It took us a little bit of time, but it opened up the game for us, and our guys just stayed with it and started hitting shots.”
Buddy Hield #7 of the Golden State Warriors celebrates with Stephen Curry #30 after making a three-point basket in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Chase Center. ((Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Kerr praises Hield’s impact
One of Kerr’s standout decisions was starting Buddy Hield, who delivered with 27 points on an efficient 10-of-18 from the field, including 7-of-13 from three-point range. Warriors coach praised Hield’s ability to impact the game through pace and floor spacing.
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“Well, it took him a little bit,” Kerr admitted. “He missed shots early. But we’re at our best when we’re playing fast and with a lot of pace, and that’s what Buddy does really well. He runs the floor in transition probably better than anybody on our team.”
“He just sprints to the corners and creates a lot of space,” Kerr added. “Early in the season, he was getting a lot of shots in transition from the corners. So that was kind of the idea, to see if we could get him going again. Our offense has really been struggling. He eventually found his comfort zone and confidence and got going again.”
Hield responds to Kerr’s decision
Hield himself credited Kerr’s decision to keep him on the floor as a catalyst for his strong performance. His breakout came in the second half, particularly during the third quarter when he found his rhythm.
“Steve [Kerr] did a good job of just letting me stay out there and letting me figure it out,” Hield explained. “Sometimes you need to get settled in, and I think that was the play that made me get settled in.“
“If you know what I’m talking about as a basketball player, you sometimes get locked in and you’re just running around all the time and don’t feel comfortable,” he continued. “But that play helped me get settled in. I was able to make a pull-up two, and after that, in the second half, I figured it out.”
