Dub Hub: Steve Kerr credits historic shooting performance for Tuesday’s big win vs. Lakers

Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Wednesday, April 10th.

Warriors News:

Steve Kerr following the Warriors’ 134-120 win vs. Lakers: “We made a million threes”

Warriors make 26 3s, beat Lakers, clear a path for 9th seed or better | The Athletic

So here’s the evolving scenario for the Warriors: They must go 3-0 this week to generate upward movement. They face the Blazers, Pelicans and Jazz. If they win all three, they will finish at least ninth, ahead of the Lakers after they clinched the tiebreaker over them on Tuesday.

To move higher — and into the seven against eight side of the Play-In — they’d need either the Kings to go 1-2 or the Pelicans or Suns to go 0-3 in the final week. The Kings face the Pelicans, Suns and Blazers. The Pelicans face the Kings, Warriors and Lakers. The Suns face the Clippers, Kings and Timberwolves.

Draymond Green voices his frustration with Tuesday night’s officiating

How Warriors made NBA history in important win over Lakers | NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors picked up a crucial 134-120 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night to close the gap in the Western Conference play-in standings, and they made NBA history along the way.

As a team, the Warriors shot 63.4 percent of their 3-point attempts (26 of 41), which is the highest single-game percentage for a team that took at least 40 shots from downtown, per ESPN Stats and Info via Kendra Andrews.

Klay Thompson explains the story behind “Captain Klay”

NBA News:

A total eclipse of the Suns: Phoenix’s first half burned our eyes | SB Nation

I know that the country was enthralled, amazed, and staring at the sky all day yesterday. The total solar eclipse that occurred will be the last one that we will see until the 2040’s. I assume that members of the Phoenix Suns were staring at the eclipse while in Phoenix — where it was only a partial eclipse — and were not wearing sunglasses. Because they could not see the rim in the first half against the Clippers tonight.

On Fan Appreciation Night, the Suns blinded their patrons with an abysmal first quarter shooting performance. How bad? 2-of-19 bad.

Yeah, that’s um...pulls out calculator...gasps...10.5% from the field.

Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo helped off court with calf injury | ESPN

Antetokounmpo was officially ruled out in the fourth quarter due to what the team called a left soleus strain. The soleus is a muscle in the back part of the calf.

Bucks coach Doc Rivers said after the game that Antetokounmpo was undergoing an MRI exam on his calf and also would have his Achilles tendon tested.

Antetokounmpo finished 7-of-11 from the field with 15 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. He left without speaking to reporters.

Rivers was asked about his concern level.

“High, I would say that,” Rivers said. “He’s Giannis. I think everyone probably feels the same way as I do right now. We’re just going to hope for the best.”

Updated Western Conference Standings following the conclusion of Tuesday’s games

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

Player grades: Warriors vs. Lakers

Andrew Wiggins

29 minutes, 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 fouls, 7-for-12 shooting, 3-for-5 threes, 70.8% TS, +10

Wiggins returned from a two-game absence right on time, as his defense was really needed for this game. And he delivered in a big way, shining on the perimeter while also recording a trio of blocked shots.

It was quietly a fantastic offensive game for Wiggins, too, with the highlight being back-to-back threes in the second quarter that poured a large bucket of ice water on a Lakers run.

Grade: A

A playoff audition

What’s much more realistic is jumping over the Lakers. Should the Dubs win tonight’s showdown, they’d be just half a game behind LA, while owning the tiebreak. After tonight’s game, the Lakers finish the season with road games against the Memphis Grizzlies and Pelicans. A Warriors win tonight would give them and the Lakers the same number in the loss column which, combined with owning the tiebreak, would mean the Dubs could surpass LA by not losing more of their final three games than LA does of their final two.

Follow @unstoppablebaby on Twitter for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.