What Kerr believes were ‘killers’ in Warriors’ loss to Suns originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors went down to the wire during their 108-104 loss to the Phoenix Suns but ultimately could not prevail in their season opener at Chase Center on Tuesday.
The Suns were relentless on the offensive glass all night, with Warriors coach Steve Kerr pointing to Phoenix’s rebounding effort being the difference in this game.
“Their offensive rebounds were killers,” Kerr said. “I thought [Josh] Okogie was the difference tonight. Just his offensive boards, his hustle plays, I thought he was really key for them.”
Okogie led the Suns with four offensive boards, adding to his incredible night that saw him score 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including a dagger 3 in the waning seconds of the shot clock that extended the Suns lead to 103-99 with 1:08 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Suns grabbed 17 offensive rebounds as a team, turning those extra opportunities into 20 second-chance points. Five different Suns players recorded multiple offensive boards, highlighting a team-wide determination to fight for every possible opportunity to create extra possessions.
Phoenix’s hustle on the boards continued a similar trend for Golden State from last season when the Warriors ranked in the bottom third of the NBA in offensive rebounds allowed per game.
Overall, Phoenix won the rebounding battle 60-49, with their effort on the glass proving pivotal in a matchup of Western Conference heavyweights with title aspirations.
Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast
