The Golden State Warriors won their seventh championship earlier this year after failing to reach the playoff in the previous two seasons. Despite the absence of Klay Thompson in the regular season, the Stephen Curry-led Warriors finished third in the Western Conference with a 53-29 record, right above the Dallas Mavericks.
Meanwhile, Luka Doncic also did well to lead his team to the fourth spot in the rankings with hopes of winning the franchise’s first championship since 2011. It led to a much anticipated battle between the NBA’s best guards in Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic during the Western Conference Finals series. However, annoyed Warriors head coach Steve Kerr refused to rate Steph over Doncic despite all the hype surrounding the two.
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The battle between Doncic and Curry became the focus of the NBA a few months ago. However, the Warriors superstar silenced his critics immediately.
Stephen Curry‘s Warriors started relentlessly against the Mavs. Incidentally, Luka Doncic was playing in the Conference Finals for the first time. Golden State soon took control of the series with a 3-0 lead, winning Game 3 with a comfortable 109-100.?
Warriors coach Steve Kerr avoided Stephen Curry-Luka Doncic comparison
After the game, the Warriors’ head coach was asked to share his opinion on the Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic battle. Kerr seemed to be annoyed by the comparison between the two athletes. Thus, he refrained from showing his complete support for Stephen Curry.
Steve Kerr said,?“I hate that stuff. I’m just a crusty old coach and it’s a basketball game. There’s 10 people on the floor and both of those guys are amazing players.”
The four-time championship-winning coach stated that both Curry and Doncic were amazing athletes. However, he suggested that basketball was a team game that required their teammates to be equally good to succeed.
Therefore, Steve Kerr also refused to rate Curry over the 23-year-old Mavericks star. In addition, Kerr pointed out that it was remarkable to watch Stephen Curry in action on both sides of the court.
Luka Doncic took lessons from the loss
During the post-game interview after Game 3, Luka Doncic looked a little disappointed. He admitted to playing below expectations in the first two quarters during the 109-100 loss. Despite the team’s loss, the Slovenian star scored 40 points with 11 rebounds and 3 assists during the game.?
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Further, Doncic suggested that it was his first time on the big stage and he was still learning. He stated, “It’s my first time in Conference finals in the NBA. I’m 23. I’m still learning a lot.”
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Doncic has returned more aggressively this season. The Mavericks’ point guard has averaged 33.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game in 18 appearances so far.?