HOUSTON — The soul of the Warriors’ dynasty will be alive and worth celebrating as long as Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Steve Kerr say and believe it is.
The heart of the Warriors’ dynasty will be the engine to drive epic Game 7 victories on the road as long as they stay together and continue to motivate and elevate their teammates.
And the brains and willpower of the Warriors’ dynasty — with a super-charge from Jimmy Butler this postseason — summoned something absolutely special on Sunday in a 103-89 do-or-die victory at Toyota Center that moved the Warriors into the second round against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Warriors expect to do this stuff. They might keep doing this stuff for quite a while longer. They might not win a fifth championship of this era, but this is still the kind of thing that dynasties do and keep doing. And every time the Warriors do it, everybody should remember that nobody else does things like this so often and so proudly.
“I felt great coming into this game,” Kerr told me after his postgame presser. “I told everybody around me: ‘We’re going to win the game,’ I just felt it. And the reason is Jimmy, Steph, Draymond.”
The Warriors love these moments — just like they loved their first run to a title in 2015, their dominant stretch with Kevin Durant after that, and the fight to their fourth title three years ago. They love thinking and fighting through a tough playoff series, and the Warriors sure had to think through this one after kicking away a 3-1 lead and facing this game against the young and hungry Rockets.
Draymond faced the moment by blaming himself in a team meeting on Saturday night and saying he’d be a better, calmer leader in Game 7. Curry faced it by committing to take better care of the ball, flying for every loose ball, and happily taking a back seat in the scoring load in a very efficient Warriors first half. Butler faced it by telling the team that he needed to make everybody feel more comfortable on the court. And Kerr faced it by sticking with Buddy Hield in the starting lineup after a 0-point outing on Friday and engaging Draymond in a long and mostly one-way conversation during Sunday morning’s shootaround when he told Draymond exactly what the team needed from him.
Then everybody delivered on their promises and commitments in Game 7. Draymond was dominant on defense and didn’t get out of control emotionally. Curry played a brilliant all-around game and then finished it off with a fourth-quarter flurry. Butler calmed everybody down. And Hield blew up for 22 first-half points, proving Kerr right once again.
That’s the Warriors continuum — that’s the spirit that started this run, it’s what fueled them to win Game 7 in Houston in 2018 and Game 7 in Sacramento in 2023. It has kept this thing going for a decade, and it’s what might keep pushing this franchise through this month, maybe into June, and possibly for several more years.
“There’s such a care factor for every guy on this team, and it starts with me and Draymond, (Kevon) Looney, who’s been here with us, and now obviously with Jimmy and his playoff experience,” Curry said. “Going to have to rely on that as long as this ride continues.
“The familiar part is figuring out the chessboard in between a series and sticking with it, not letting go of the rope and being able to turn the page from one game to the next and meet the moment. It’s so much fun out there. That’s what we talk about to our guys the most, there’s no more fun that you can experience in basketball than a playoff series, especially if it goes the distance. So embrace it.”
For Kerr, it was just about letting Curry and Draymond lead the way, and understanding that Butler now is right there beside them. The Warriors were convinced going into this series that they were the better team. They also respected the talent and strength of the Rockets — and were a little taken aback by the way they lost Games 5 and 6.
But because they’re the Warriors, they also saw the opportunity.
“I think because it was Game 7 on the road, you saw what Draymond and Steph are made of,” Kerr said. “They got themselves really, really composed, and that was the difference in the game.”
Draymond’s Saturday speech was a huge step to getting everything back in line. Then Kerr’s conversation with Draymond pushed it to maximum levels.
“Just really setting the tone for what he needed from me today, which is poise, leadership,” Draymond said of the talk. “Go out have fun, with poise, give your guys something to follow. He told me you’re one of the most competitive people I’ve ever been around. And one of the greatest leaders I’ve been around. So it’s my job to let you know what your leadership should be tonight.
“It’s one of the better conversations we’ve ever had. And we’ve had some great ones. But that one I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
Draymond and Kerr couldn’t have had that conversation at that moment if they had just been thrown together. It sure wouldn’t have had the same impact if this was a new relationship or just an uncertain one.
But the foundational figures for this team have been together for so long that a meeting of the minds right before Game 7 can have tidal effects.
“The main thing is we’ve been together for 11 years and we’ve been through everything together,” Kerr said of his talk with Draymond. “And it just felt like a good time to check in with him. It’s been a frustrating series for him in many ways. I loved his talk to the team last night. I loved his approach.
“That was just two people who’ve been through everything together. I have so much admiration for him and I know when he’s right, he impacts winning at the highest level. The continuity we have with this team and the beauty of the relationships that we have, I think it allows for a lot of real conversation. I’m lucky to coach him because of who he is and I always want to help him because I love him and he’s been so important in my life.”
Said Draymond of Kerr: “I’ll tell you all, Steve’s so calm in these situations. Everybody gets rattled, he’s just like (even keel). So when your coach is like that, it just settles everybody down.”
So Sunday was a series reset for the Warriors. A relaunch. A recommitment. And a revelation. Even when Curry went scoreless for the first 23 minutes of the game. Even when the Rockets made a few second-half rallies that got the crowd roaring just like it got rowdy during the Warriors’ blowout loss on Wednesday.
“We got out of sorts the last two games,” Kerr said. “And I knew with these guys and their championship pedigree, I knew they’d lock in and play a solid game. And you always need somebody to step up. It’s a huge part of the playoffs. Can you stay healthy and in certain games can somebody step up. And Buddy Hield steps up and gets 33 points.
“It starts with game plan discipline. And that’s why I was so impressed with Steph. I’m sure everybody was saying, ‘Oh man, Steph’s 0-for-5, 0 for …’ I didn’t care. Because I knew he was going to break through. I care about him taking care of the ball, managing the game. And that’s what he did.”
This is largely a new group of Warriors, but so much of this felt similar — and to the Rockets, too. The Warriors have now eliminated the Rockets five times in this era, including closeout victories in this arena three different times. This is just what the Warriors do and might always do — as long as Curry, Draymond, and Kerr say it and believe it.
“I like this little coaches’ locker room,” Kerr said with a big smile. “Fun place.”
It was all very familiar for the Warriors on Sunday — celebrating what they just did, remembering all of the other triumphs, and pointing to what comes next. Because they know how to do this and they know it’s really fun to keep doing it.