The Golden State Warriors came agonizingly close to stunning the Houston Rockets on Sunday night. Down 14 in the fourth quarter, they clawed all the way back and had the ball with a chance to win it in the final seconds.
Stephen Curry launched a deep three from straightaway. It missed. The Warriors fell 117-116.
In the aftermath, attention quickly turned to what happened in the moments before that final shot. Something was not right on the play, and on Monday, Brandin Podziemski explained what he saw.
What Podziemski Said About the Final Play
GettyBrandin Podziemski of the Golden State Warriors.
Watching the broadcast back, it was clear there was a miscommunication between Podziemski and Draymond Green on the final possession. Green appeared to wave for Podziemski to follow him and set a double screen, looking to create a mismatch with Alperen Sengun on Curry. Podziemski held back.
Speaking with reporters after Monday’s practice at Chase Center, he broke down his thinking in the moment.
“I saw Dray run up there to set a screen, and they switched,” Podziemski said. “But then they kind of hit him and in my mind, I’m like, I don’t want to run up there with Şengün just because I have Şengün on me to bring another guy into his air space. So I just kind of left it be where it was.”
The reasoning was rooted in spacing rather than hesitation. Podziemski felt that adding a third body into the play would have crowded Curry rather than helped him, eliminating the room he needed to operate.
“In those low-clock moments, you want to give your best players as much space as they can to have either direction to go and just make a play one way or the other,” Podziemski said. “Not crowd them with bodies.”
He acknowledged the difficulty of making those split-second decisions in the final moments of a one-possession game.
“I think the spacing is the hardest part to judge in those close-quarter moments,” Podziemski said. “We all know we wanted Şengün in it, but as soon as I saw Dray go screen, I’m like, I’m not going to bring a third guy into the equation.”
What It Means for the Warriors
GettyDraymond Green of the Golden State Warriors talks to Brandin Podziemski.
The Warriors did get the matchup they wanted in theory. Curry had the ball with a chance to win the game. The shot simply did not fall.
Whether the play would have unfolded differently with a double screen will remain a matter of debate. What is clear is that the communication between Podziemski and Green needs to be sharper as the postseason approaches. Late-game execution in one-possession games is where championships are won and lost, and Golden State cannot afford those grey areas when the play-in tournament begins.
Podziemski had a strong night otherwise, finishing with 18 points on an efficient shooting night and playing a key role in the fourth-quarter comeback. His voice and reasoning on Monday showed a player thinking about winning, not just playing his role.
Four regular season games remain before the play-in begins. The Warriors will want these details ironed out before then.
Final Word for the Warriors
One missed shot. One miscommunication. A heartbreaking loss.
The Warriors are close to something. The final details are still being sorted out.
That is what practice is for.
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