Kings-Warriors playoff notes: Coach Steve Kerr won’t wave ‘pom poms’ for Kings
Steve Kerr understood the sentiment — that this first-ever playoff meeting between the Kings and Warriors may blow the lid off Golden 1 Center in Games 1 and 2 and at Chase Center in San Francisco for Games 3 and 4.
But the Golden State coach wasn’t about to admit that he was in this for an All-Northern California feel-good showcase. He’s in it for one reason, expressing as much in a pregame media session in sizing up the significance of Game 1 of this opening-round Western Conference playoffs. The Kings won 126-123 before an overflow crowd of 18,253 delirious fans.
“Yeah, we don’t care about Northern California,” Kerr said, drawing a laugh. “We care about the Warriors, so we want to win for our fans and for us. If that doesn’t happen, then, well, it’s not like we’re going to be there with pom poms, saying, ‘Alright! Let’s go Kings!’ I’d be happy for (Kings coach Mike Brown), on a personal level. He’s a great friend, and everything that he has meant to us and to me. I would for sure be thrilled for him.
“But yeah. There’s none of that geographic pride, that’s for sure.”
All that noise
Kerr said he can appreciate long-suffering Kings fans, who have celebrated the franchise’s return to the playoffs after a 17-year absence. It was plenty noisy before the game, including a sea of white T-shirts that read “Feel the Roar,” which fans found draped over seats and then quickly put on.
The loud ovation brought to mind the first time the Kings made the playoffs in Sacramento (in 1986), the next time they hosted a game at old Arco Arena (in 1996) and throughout the Rick Adelman-coached Kings run from 1999 to 2006.
“It’s gonna be awesome,” Kerr said. “I’m looking forward to this. It’s always been an amazing fanbase here. It’s always a great vibe, even for the last 16 years, coming here. When they didn’t have great teams, there was a love for basketball, love for the Kings. There’s a vibe in the building that’s really fun. It’s going to be rowdy.”
After the game, Kings coach Mike Brown applauded the fans, saying: “It was extremely loud. Got to take your hat off to them because they brought it. ... I applaud our fans. We’re going to need them to continue to be there for us.”
Flashback feel
Kerr said the impact Kings All-Star center Domantas Sabonis has had for Sacramento reminds him of the Warriors’ breakthrough title teams he coached a decade ago that included a big-man passer in Andrew Bogut, the start of the four championships over eight seasons.
“(The Kings) look like we did when we had Andrew Bogut in my first couple of years coaching,” Kerr said. “All the dribble-handoff stuff, playing through Bogut, playing through Sabonis, shooting everywhere. Really very similar vibe with a lot of ball movement, a lot of flow and a lot of counteractions.
“They’ve put together a really good offense. It all makes sense and the puzzle fits, and the staff has done a great job of suiting an offense to their talent.”
Brown about town
Brown, the Kings first-year coach, has embraced the Sacramento region. He attends local high school football games and Sacramento State men’s basketball games, where his longtime friend David Patrick is the head coach.
“When I was living in the Bay, I had friends that lived here in Sacramento,” the former Warriors assistant coach said. “Before we even got the job, they talked about how special this is, how fun it is, and after getting the job and moving up here, even before the season started, we thoroughly enjoyed the Sacramento area. It’s really underrated.
“The fans are passionate from back in the old days. You knew they knew the game of basketball, that they had a great feel for the game. To be able to experience their joy has been an unbelievable feeling for not only myself but my family, too.”
