Steve Kerr had one major takeaway after the Warriors’ painful 124–119 overtime loss to the Clippers: nobody wanted the damn ball. “There were five or six loose balls that we were very careless going after,” he said postgame, sounding like a teacher disappointed in a group science project. “The ball is gold. The ball is everything.”

He called out the effort, the technique—heck, even specific plays. “Moses had one where he tried to retrieve it with one hand,” Kerr said. They’ll show the team film just to remind them that, yes, rebounding actually matters.

Kerr wasn’t the only one throwing side-eye at the floor. Draymond Green, who finished with 14 points and two blocks but missed a wide-open layup late in OT, admitted it flat out: “It’s tough to win… we didn’t get a lot of loose balls… some of these loose balls are just bouncing, and we’re not getting them.”

Brandin Podziemski added the same flavor: “There’s three or four possessions we coulda had that they got tonight… it gave them more rhythm.”

But wait—it’s not just the Warriors noticing the rebounding crisis. Even Jimmy Butler, who quietly dropped 30 points and 9 assists, called himself out: “I think my sorry a** had one rebound. So if I rebound a lot more, the game might be different.” He even nailed the Kerr theme: “Get to loose balls, there you go.”

Butler was also limping postgame, thanks to a tough knee-to-thigh bump from Kawhi Leonard late in OT. His left thigh was clearly hurting, but he still plans to suit up Tuesday against the Grizzlies. Dude’s limping and still taking accountability. That’s leadership.

Speaking of BP, let’s give him his flowers. He played 43 minutes and finished with 19 points on 63.6% shooting, seven rebounds, four assists, a block, and two steals. And yes, he led the entire team in rebounds. A 6’5″ rookie guard. What are we even doing here?

And this isn’t some one-game fluke—Podziemski’s been on fire. Over his last nine games, he’s averaging 18.4 points, 6.1 boards, 4.1 assists, and 3.6 threes per game while shooting 52.5% from the three-point line. In a high-stakes playoff race, he’s playing like a seasoned vet.

The Warriors Just Cannot Win a Play-In Game

Now for the ugly part. That loss? It dropped Golden State to the Play-In Tournament. Again. And history says… yikes. They’re 0–3 in these things. 2021: Lost to the Lakers. Then to the Grizzlies. 2024: Blown out by the Kings. 2025: About to face Ja-less Memphis. We’ll see.

They’ll take on the Grizzlies on Tuesday, April 15, at 7:00 PM PDT, and if they’re serious about finally getting a W, someone other than Steph and Brandin needs to actually rebound.

Let’s give credit where it’s due. James Harden exploded for 39 points, including 12 in OT. Kawhi Leonard dropped 33 with defense to match. Ivica Zubac? He grabbed 17 rebounds and made the paint look like his personal man cave.

The Warriors had chances: Draymond missed a layup with 26 seconds left, and Buddy Hield bricked a potential game-tying three. But the Clippers pounced on every mistake—literally every loose ball—and it made all the difference.

Here’s the bottom line: Steve Kerr is begging for hustle. Draymond, Brandin, and even Jimmy Butler—who’s on the other team—all admitted loose balls and rebounding were the difference.

Steph dropped 36. Brandin looked like a future star. But none of that matters if the team doesn’t dive for the damn ball. Tuesday is a must-win. And if this same energy shows up again? It might be time to bring golf clubs to the Chase Center.