Steve Kerr reveals Game 7 plan to neutralize Steven Adams with $22,500,000 weapon
Steven Adams has made a big impact on the first-round playoff series for the Houston Rockets against the Golden State Warriors. He was key to the Rockets' 115-107 win in Game 6 in San Francisco to force a do-or-die Game 7 on Sunday.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr understands what he has to do and reveals his plan to neutralize Adams and Alperen Sengun being on the same lineup. Kerr told reporters on Sunday's practice that he's going to use their $22,500,000 veteran big man more.
"I would expect Loon to play more than he did last night," Kerr said, according to The Athletic's Anthony Slater.
Anthony Slater also highlighted the impact of Steven Adams on the Houston Rockets in their series against the Golden State Warriors. Adams is a +53 when he's on the floor, meaning the Rockets gained 53 points more when the big man was on the court.
Adams' partnership with Alperen Sengun has created a problem for the Warriors, with coach Steve Kerr being forced to make adjustments. Kevon Looney and Trayce Jackson-Davis only played two minutes each in Game 6, which won't be the case on Sunday.
Small ball usually works for Golden State, but Adams and Sengun are dominating the paint. The veteran Kiwi big man finished with 17 points, five rebounds and three blocks off the bench in 31 minutes in Game 6.
Sengun, meanwhile, put up 21 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and three steals. They outmuscled Golden State's Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, who were both undersized.
Steven Adams made NBA history in Game 6 win
Apart from his brilliant Game 6, Steven Adams also made history by having a stat line that has never been seen ever, regular season or playoffs. According to OptaStats, Adams is the first player in NBA history to shoot 100% from the field, attempt 15 or more free throws, block three shots and commit zero turnovers.
It's a remarkable stat, as no one has ever done so since the 1977-78 season when turnovers were first recorded. It might have been done years before, but there's no way of knowing that, as some stats weren't tracked back then.
Adams will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and could be in line for a big payday. He's only 31 and has seemingly recovered his athleticism after more than two seasons of being plagued by a knee injury.
Game 7 of the Warriors-Rockets series is scheduled for Sunday at the Toyota Center in Houston. It will be televised on TNT, with tipoff at 8:30 p.m. EST.
