Warriors’ Steve Kerr shares largest concern prior to Game 7 battle vs. Rockets

The Golden State Warriors will either become filled with joy and a sense of relief, or feel the kind of anguish that only a Game 7 NBA Playoff defeat can deliver.

The Warriors' upcoming Game 7 matchup on the road against the Houston Rockets in their first-round postseason series on Sunday will be a test of mental fortitude and toughness, as Houston's energetic defensive-minded core will look to send Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green packing.

Golden State's head coach Steve Kerr watched from the sidelines in awe as his group dropped a massive Game 6 by a score of 115-107 on their home floor on Friday night. In said matchup, it looked as though the collective spirit of the roster had been crushed, refurbished, and destroyed all over again.

As the dynastic core of Curry, Green and Kerr get set for what will be a rowdy do-or-die showdown, the latter of the trio spoke on his concerns regarding the team on Saturday. In the aftermath of Game 6, the Warriors' lead strategist made it his No. 1 mission to help the players keep their emotions in check for the pivotal contest.

"And then the second half, I thought we got a little scattered with our game, with our emotion," Kerr told NBC Sports Bay Area's Monte Poole over a Zoom call on Saturday night.

"That's the biggest thing. There's always going to be matchups and things that you try to do to protect certain matchups, certain actions that people are running, whatever. There are scheme changes you can make."

Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp

"So, that's my biggest concern tomorrow is, just our overall emotional response to a night where we really weren't ourselves."

Thankfully for Kerr, the Warriors will be able to trot out one of the NBA's greatest Game 7 performers, as the 4-time NBA champion and 2-time league MVP Curry has compiled an average of 32.6 points across five career appearances in such playoff outings.

If the 6-foot-2 scoring guard finds a rhythm, he'll give his team a chance to regulate their emotions and settle into the moment.

The last time Curry participated in a Game 7, he dominated the Sacramento Kings for 50 points to notch a second-round berth in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

Houston's Amen Thompson, Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks will aim to slow the all-time great down every time the Warriors come down the floor for an offensive possession, but Kerr and Curry will surely leave everything on the court in Game 7.

More NBA: UCLA legend Russell Westbrook shares feelings toward Oklahoma City ahead of NBA playoff return