Apr 20, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr talks with the media before the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Steve Kerr Declares Warriors Player Will Receive More Minutes in Game 7

Originally posted on Golden State Warriors on SI
By Farbod Esnaashari | Last updated May 4, 2025 12:13 AM ET

After having a 3-1 lead, the Golden State Warriors surprisingly have their backs against the wall in a Game 7 on the road against the Houston Rockets on Sunday.

Now, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has every option on the table. Will the team finally play Jonathan Kuminga again? One option Kerr is strongly considering is playing big man Kevon Looney more minutes to match with Steven Adams' dominance.

"I trust Loon, you know, implicitly based on being together for 10 years, seeing him perform in so many of these big games," Kerr said. "So I would expect Loon to play more than he did last night."

Steve Kerr asked about Houston controlling the glass + specifically Kevon Looney as an option: "I trust Loon, you know, implicitly based on being together for 10 years, seeing him perform in so many of these big games. So I would expect Loon to play more than he did last night."
— Danny Emerman (@DannyEmerman) May 4, 2025

Rockets big man Steven Adams has been a +53 in the series against the Golden State Warriors, and has been a legitimate problem for the team. Golden State has had no answers for Adams, resorting to attempting a hack-a-Shaq technique on him. Unfortunately for Golden State, Adams has been making the majority of his free throws.

Steven Adams is a +53 in this series. The Rockets have a 46.3 offensive rebound rate when Adams/Sengun are on the floor together. That could mean more Kevon Looney in G7. He only played two minutes in G6.

Kerr: "I would expect Loon to play more than he did last night."
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 4, 2025

As much as Kevon Looney could help the Golden State Warriors in the Steven Adams matchup, the biggest issue is that the team needs to make shots when it matters. The Warriors collectively shot 2/18 in the fourth quarter against Houston on Friday night, and that can't happen again.