Steph Curry breaks silence on Steve Kerr's decision to bench him in pivotal stretch vs Timberwolves

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr benched superstar guard Steph Curry to start the fourth quarter of Sunday’s pivotal road matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The questionable decision left the four-time NBA champion slightly perplexed postgame.

Amid their up-and-down season, the Warriors are battling to secure a play-in spot in the crowded Western Conference. They entered Sunday clinging to 10th place (36-33), trying to fend off the surging Houston Rockets (35-35), who have improbably rattled off eight consecutive wins.

Sunday’s contest was seemingly going well for the Warriors, as they entered the fourth quarter leading 81-78. However, Kerr kept Curry on the bench for the first five minutes of the final frame, resulting in a 19-8 Timberwolves run.

The 10-time All-Star checked back in with 6:54 remaining and Golden State trailing 97-89. Curry’s return helped the Warriors rally to tie the game with 3:28 left before Minnesota regained the lead.

Golden State later had a chance to force overtime, trailing 113-110. However, Warriors veteran shooting guard Klay Thompson missed his game-tying 3-point attempt with 8.0 seconds remaining, and the Timberwolves held on for a 114-110 victory.

When asked if he was “surprised” by his extended rest in the fourth, Curry highlighted his desire to be on the court in key moments.

“Obviously, comparing it to last game and the normal rotation, I want to play as many minutes as I’m fresh and able to,” Curry said.

“So, a little bit, knowing that they were going on a run. The lead was kind of whittling away. So, [I] played the whole fourth quarter against Indiana, [but it] didn’t work out. This didn’t work out [either]. So, we gotta find somewhere in the middle.”

As Steph Curry noted, he played the entire fourth quarter during Friday’s 123-111 home loss to the Indiana Pacers. So, Kerr was likely trying to preserve the 36-year-old’s energy for a late-game push on Sunday.

Despite playing just under 30 minutes, Curry finished with a game-high 31 points, four rebounds, three assists and five 3-pointers on 42.9% shooting.

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Steph Curry on Steve Kerr’s preference to restrict his minutes

During Sunday’s postgame interview, Steph Curry was also asked about Steve Kerr’s desire to limit his minutes. The two-time MVP noted that it will depend on how the standings shake out over the Warriors’ final 12 games.

Kerr said he would prefer to restrict Curry to 30 to 32 minutes per game. However, following Sunday’s loss to Minnesota, the Warriors (36-34) have only a 1.0-game advantage over Houston (35-35) for the West’s final play-in spot.

“The situation will define itself pretty clearly, and it is in real-time,” Curry said.

“So, every game matters, and we’re inching closer to the other end of the standings that we never thought we’d be in. So, nobody’s gonna wave the white flag and say, ‘You’re mailing it in.’ If that means playing more minutes, I’ll be ready to do that.”

It remains to be seen if Kerr increases Curry’s workload to close the season. If not, the Warriors could find themselves on the outside looking in come play-in time.

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