Dub Hub: Steve Kerr says Warriors are exactly where they want to be for Game 6 vs. Rockets

Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Friday, May 2nd.

In today’s Dub Hub:

• Steve Kerr says the Warriors are in the ‘exact spot’ they want to be in as they attempt to close out their first round series against the Rockets in Friday’s Game 6.
• Pistons’ Malik Beasley claims he’s “the best shooter in the world” following team’s first round exit to the Knicks.
• Gregg Popovich steps down as Spurs’ head coach, becomes full-time Team President.

Despite dropping Game 5 on the road to the Houston Rockets, the Golden State Warriors aren’t panicking.

After falling behind early in their 131-116 defeat on Wednesday night, the Warriors still maintain a 3-2 series lead in their best-of-seven first-round matchup. With a chance to close things out at home in Game 6 on Friday night, head coach Steve Kerr remains confident in where his team stands.

While the loss was lopsided, Kerr’s message was clear: this series was never going to be easy, and the Warriors still control their destiny. Game 5 exposed some issues — Golden State’s starters were outplayed, and the team trailed by 27 points at halftime — but Kerr’s decision to pull the starters early in the second half was as much about rest and preparation as it was about waving the white flag.

Now, the series shifts back to the Chase Center, where the Warriors will have a raucous home crowd behind them in their second attempt to close out the young, energetic Rockets. With veterans like Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler leading the way, the team is leaning into its experience, hoping it will advance them to the next round of the playoffs.

For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Friday, May 2nd:

Warriors News:

Warriors, after another close-out game flop, face ramped-up pressure for Game 6 | The Athletic

The Warriors, predictably, buckled at the first sign of resistance. For Dubs loyalists, this was akin to flicking through channels and coming across, like, “Killer Klowns from Outer Space” — the 1988 comedy-horror movie where murderous aliens terrorize a small town — or getting sucked into “Angels and Demons” because of Tom Hanks. You’d seen this movie before, you know it’s bad. But the remote batteries suddenly died, so you’re watching it.

This particular horror flick previously aired in Memphis in the second round of the 2022 playoffs. And in Dallas in the next round. Even in San Francisco in 2023, against Sacramento in the first round.

Amen Thompson’s all-around Game 5 powers Rockets by Warriors | ESPN

Thompson conducted a defensive clinic guarding Stephen Curry, while Dillon Brooks clamped down on Jimmy Butler. Together, Houston’s defensive stalwarts limited the Golden State stars to 13 and 8 points, respectively, on 6-of-22 shooting.

“He took it personal, and that’s what we need from him every single night,” Brooks said. “As a defender, you have to take the matchup personal. He was reading Steph, reading a lot of the guys, staying in front, being disciplined on the defensive end without reaching. We need that Amen every single game because we’re going to go against guys like Steph again. That same mentality, that tenacity that he was playing with gives us a lot of energy, gives us a lot of extra possessions, and it makes their best player timid and think. That’s what we need: their best players to think, think, think the game instead of playing in the flow.”

Jonathan Kuminga expected to be ready for Game 6 after dealing with a migraine

Giannis to Warriors? Eight potential suitors after Bucks eliminated | NBC Sports Bay Area

Trade assets: Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, Quinten Post, 2026-31 own first-round picks

Compared to the other teams listed, the Warriors don’t have nearly enough assets to pull this off. But we’ve seen that anything can happen in the NBA trade market. Golden State has long-coveted Antetokounmpo, and he would be an ideal piece alongside the aging Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler. It’s tricky to make the salary work, but it’s an exciting hypothetical.

Pistons’ Malik Beasley claims he’s ‘the best shooter in the world’

NBA News:

Clips spurred by Lue’s pregame calls, stop Nuggets to force Game 7 | ESPN

The Clippers won by getting Harden going early and ensuring he had space to operate with a key lineup change at halftime. Lue inserted Nicolas Batum to start the second half in favor of the more defense-minded Kris Dunn, who had become a liability on offense as Denver sagged off of him and often sent his defender to blitz Harden whenever he caught the ball. Batum is a more dangerous offensive player, and he’s versatile enough to stay with Denver guard Jamal Murray, who torched the Clippers for 43 points in Game 5 but had only 21 in Game 6.

“When we went small with that shooting lineup, we were able to break the game open a little bit,” Lue said. “That gave James and Kawhi more spacing and they were able to attack more.”

Pistons’ Cade Cunningham hopes tough playoff lessons pay off next season | NBA

On Thursday, though, it was another crushing last-second loss that ended Detroit’s postseason run. Jalen Brunson hit a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds left to put the Knicks up 116-113 and Cunningham’s pass to Malik Beasley sailed out of bounds as time expired.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned about the playoffs is that you have to raise your attention to details,” Cunningham said. “Every possession means so much more than it does during the regular season, so you have to do everything stronger, faster and a little more together.”

Gregg Popovich steps down as head coach of the Spurs to become full-time Team President

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

Evaluating the NBA’s 2025 playoff slogans

Denver Nuggets – We Believe

Boo! Booooooo! The Nuggets are shamelessly ripping off the fan-driven slogan of the 2007 Warriors, one of the most entertaining upstart playoff teams of all time. You can’t act like no one believes in you have home-court advantage, won a title two years ago, and have a player who has won three of the last four MVP trophies! Supposedly, the slogan is inspired by the perceived disbelief in the team’s chances after firing head coach Michael Malone, a completely self-inflicted wound. Plus, they attempt the fewest three-pointers in the NBA and have Nikola Jokic, the antithesis of Don Nelson-era small ball, though Nellie did always enjoy running the offense through a member of his front court.

A tweet to end the week:

Follow @unstoppablebaby on Twitter for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.