Word for Warriors is ‘Code’

SAN FRACISCO--If nothing else—and there is plenty—Steve Kerr added a new description to how basketball is played, and viewed: Code

The word usually is heard in military films—“Sir, we’ve broken the Russian code”—or in those poignant lyrics of  a Sinatra song, “…I could tell you a lot but a gentleman has to be true to his code.”

Now the word has become a part of this break-your-elbow, twist-your-knee NBA playoff between the (ouch!) Warriors and the (ow!)  Memphis Grizzlies,

Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinal will be played Monday night at Chase Center, the Warriors holding  a 2-1 lead and both sides holding on to their belief the other team is getting away with something immoral, if not illegal,

In a different era, somebody involved, whether directly as player or coach, or indirectly, might say something about dirty play or (shhh) poor officiating. But this is the 21st Century, and pro hoops must be spoken of carefully. Even if you play stupidly.

   But especially in the playoffs, when each game is magnified in importance, the game grows rougher. And you get somebody like Dillon Brooks of Memphis crashing into an airborne, unprotected Gary Payton II and taking him out for almost a month.

 And Kerr, who played the game with a bruiser and perhaps the  super-est of superstars, Michael Jordan, said Brooks broke the code. He meant while contact is acceptable, cheap shots which might end a player’s career are not.

That was Game 2, won by Memphis. Then, Saturday, Game 3, Ja Morant of the Grizzlies—who had 47 points in the Game, was caught between the Warriors’ Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins, In reaching for the ball Poole tugged on Morant’s injured knee.

Whether it was intentional—Poole was in full denial—or unintentional, didn’t matter to Morant, who after he left in frustration,  tweeted, “Broke Code.”

Morant was declared out of Monday’s game, giving the Warriors a huge advantage.. Not that the underdog doesn’t surprise. If an 80-1 shot can take the Kentucky Derby, any qualified team can take an NBA playoff game. Other than the Brooklyn Nets.

The Warriors’ 142-112  victory in Game 3 was a reminder of their championship seasons when they won three titles and were runner-up twice, shooting 63 percent overall on field goals, 53 perc  tent on 3 -pointers and 90 percent (19 of 21) on free throws. That had been done only once previously, by the 2001 76ers.

Indeed, as Kerr (and Steph Curry frequently point out ab0ut points, the offense is a product of the defense. Force the opponent to miss, grab the rebound and then flee to judgment—or at the least an easy basket.

It doesn’t hurt that Klay Thomson more and more  regained his confidence and his touch in no particular order. Klay was 8 of   13 for 21 points, behind Steph’s 30 and Poole’s 27.

As he should have been Kerr was thoroughly delighted, not only by the victory but by the method it was accomplished. Not many games, in regular season  or playoff, where you hit the 100 point mark with 28 seconds left in the third quarter. Nor when rookie Jonathan Kuning starts, He was taking the place of Gary Payton.

“We wanted to replace Gary’s athleticism, around the rim,” said Kerr. “Memphis is a really athletic team.”

 But can it crack the code?