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SAN ANTONIO – The Warriors’ depth chart alone has given the Spurs already enough stress. After all, Spurs interim coach Ettore Messina struggled to compare Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson as shooters.

When it comes to determining when to switch on defense, another things has also given Messina some headaches.

“They do not base their game a lot on pick-and-rolls. They base their game more on cutting and screening,” Messina said. “The great thing they do is the patience they have. They keep moving the ball. They find a good enough shot for Durant or Thompson and then somebody else.”

Two hours after lamenting those challenges, the Spurs found a way to address it. The Warriors lost, 103-90, in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Spurs on Sunday with Durant (34 points on 12-of-28 shooting) and Thompson (12 points on 4-of-16 shooting) struggling to make baskets. Ironically, the Warriors made a late-game push by straying away from what Warriors coach Steve Kerr usually preaches.

“We saw something in the pick-and-roll that we were able to get going and get back into the game,” Durant said. “We simplified everything running pick and roll, we got some great looks out of that, and it got us back in the game.”

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On the last play of the third quarter, Durant went one-on-one against Spurs forward Rudy Gay for a pull-up jumper that cut the lead to 77-71. After that, Durant and Draymond Green played a two-man game on the pick-and-roll. Green found Durant open for an elbow jumper that trimmed the Spurs’ lead to 88-83 with 6:34 left in the fourth quarter. Green set another screen that set up Durant for an open 3-pointer that cut the Spurs’ lead to 88-86 with 5:57 left.

“We’re just attacking, so we just want to go,” Kerr said. “We just want to push it and we ran a lot of high screens. It’s just the end of the game.”

At the end of the game, though, that effectiveness wore off. The Warriors missed their last seven shots. Then again, that might explain why the Warriors have rarely run pick-and-roll plays all season. The Warriors rank 29th out of 30 NBA teams in pick-and-roll plays involving the ball handler (10. 9 percent).

“Everybody is running pick and rolls because it’s difficult to guard. But I think the advantage of a lot of off-ball stuff is it’s harder to focus on when the guy is going to take this guy out of a series,” Kerr said before Game 4. “If a guy has the ball in his hands all the time, it’s easier to trap him and try to take him away from things. But when the ball moves like it does with us and we have multiple playmakers and you’re running a lot of off-ball screens, it’s tougher to take that stuff away.”

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He said it

Of all the things that will motivate New Orleans Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry, he apparently has one goal for a likely Warriors-Pelicans semifinals matchup.

“I just want to out-coach Steve,”

Those words caused Kerr to chuckle. The two have shared plenty of laughs when Gentry was Kerr’s assistant in Golden State in 2014-15 and had overlapping stints as a Phoenix Suns assistant and head coach when Kerr was the team’s general manager (2007-2010).

“That’s awesome. I look forward to it. He’s one of my best friends,” Kerr said. “I love Alvin to death. I’m so happy for him and his success.”

Kerr couched his words since he said this before the Warriors’ Game 4 loss to the Spurs.

“We got to finish our business here. If you want to ask me about Alvin later once we advance, we’ll talk more about that,” Kerr said. “In the meantime, we have to try to finish this today.”

Kerr will have to wait at least until Tuesday when the Warriors play Game 5 against San Antonio at Oracle Arena.

Getting his fix

For someone who preaches work-life balance, Kerr did not exactly follow his own advice on how he spent his weekend. Instead of enjoying the River Walk or a round of golf following practice on Saturday, Kerr watched four NBA playoff games.

“It’s a healthier way to live. But the playoffs, especially the early rounds, its’ a basketball junkie’s dream,” Kerr said.” It’s favorite time of year to watch basketball. The players are playing so hard. There’s so much on the line. They’re so competitive and so talented.”

Kerr watched Philadelphia-Miami, Portland-New Orleans, Houston-Minnesota and Oklahoma City-Utah, and he did not just find the games useful to scout potential opponents. He also noticed a trend with the referees.

“I also like the way the games are officiated. They let them play. The more things you see in the regular season where guys are flopping and flailing fool the refs. The refs aren’t giving them that during the playoffs,” Kerr said. “I wish that was year round. It was just one big charade of the players trying to fool the refs, flailing, flopping and guys going up for a shot where they don’t get touched. Limbs flying everywhere. It’s infuriating. The refreshing thing during the playoffs, the refs aren’t going for that. You have to earn your trip to the line. It’s good for the fans and good for the game.”

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