Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr miss his team’s game three road victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Kerr was in Portland with the team but he wasn’t feeling well and he skipped the game. Associate head coach Mike Brown led the Dubs for the night and led them to a victory despite being down three rotation players and also trailing by 17 at one point. It was a satisfying win for the Warriors and their fans but Kerr was reportedly not able to enjoy the victory. He was suffering from some immense pain.
Following from Monte Poole of CSN Bay Area.
Steve Kerr was in such agony Saturday that he found little comfort even while watching from the team hotel as his Warriors pulled out a playoff victory over Trail Blazers, multiple sources told NBCSportsBayArea.com.
The pain is so intense that Kerr even had difficulty keeping up with the game. Moreover, it may be a while before he’s able to return to full-time coaching duties.
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It was not a great surprise to those who work closely with Kerr.
“He’s suffering,” said one person close to Kerr.
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Both the symptoms have persisted. Kerr still cannot do many of the things he loves, he acknowledged to NBCSportsBayArea.com, such as play golf. Though his back is somewhat improved, he still experiences severe headaches and neck pain.
The worst part about the discomfort is its consistency. It’s nagging at him every day and night, sometimes more severe than others.
It has gotten worse in recent days, though. It is conceivable, even likely, according to those close to Kerr, that he will miss Game 4 Monday night.
Poole does note that Kerr’s recent health issues concerning his back could be to blame for his ailments. Kerr notably missed the first half of the 2015-16 season following a back surgery and let Luke Walton handle the team in his 43 game absence. Kerr also missed a team shootaround in Chicago just last month.
The players do know how bad Kerr’s situation might be right now and Stephen Curry spoke about it following their victory on Saturday night, even taking the game ball for his head coach.
While Curry’s message seemed heartfelt, it was apparently done as a joke, as ESPN’s Marc Stein points out. But there’s no mistaking it. Steve Kerr is seriously going through something right now.
But specific details about Kerr’s condition were scarce on Saturday, with league sources saying the specific cause of the illness ?is not yet known.
The Warriors, sources said, have yet to determine whether Kerr’s symptoms are related to the headaches, nausea and other complications he has endured for much of the past two seasons since his back surgery in July 2015 caused a fluid leak in his spine.
Sources told ESPN.com that Kerr felt well enough Saturday morning to address the team, though he did not attend the Warriors’ pregame shootaround.
But sources said he also needed to have his fluids replenished Saturday before staying behind at the team hotel while the Warriors — after falling behind by 17 points — rallied to a 119-113 triumph over the Blazers to seize a 3-0 series lead, despite the absence of injured All-Star forward Kevin Durant (calf) for the second straight game.
Sources said Kerr had been feeling ill all week. Late in Wednesday night’s Game 2 victory over the Trail Blazers at home, Kerr appeared to give a glimpse of the discomfort he has been coping with by removing his suit jacket to finish out the game. Ties are not mandatory for NBA coaches, but sport coats or suit jackets are.
Sources later told ESPN that Kerr actually told his players not to make the game about him or rally around his situation, but Curry was clearly moved to pay tribute to his coach after the win.
