Steve Kerr believes the Warriors' loss to the Lakers stemmed from poor shooting and defense.

In another key game of the 2025/26 NBA regular season, the Golden State Warriors lost 101-129 at home to the Los Angeles Lakers, despite baskets from Gi Santos, Moses Moody, and Gary Payton II. Head coach Steve Kerr stated that he believed a slow start had a negative impact, and that both shooting and defense were subpar.

Giannis Santos scored 14 points and had two assists for the Golden State Warriors, Moses Moody added 12 points and 3 assists, and Gary Payton II also contributed 12 points and 3 assists.

In an interview, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said, "I think the Los Angeles Lakers played very well. They came here after a three-game losing streak, and the whole team was very focused. The slow start hurt us because now if we want to win, we have to rely on energy and fighting for extra possessions, such as rebounding and forcing turnovers. That's how we fell behind. They led the whole game, and we just couldn't catch up."

"We actually had some good shooting opportunities. It's not that we played badly, but our shooting was poor. Also, we didn't establish defensive intensity throughout the game, and they completely dominated us in that aspect. Defensive mentality is the most important thing. We must be energetic and dynamic on the defensive end from the start, but we didn't meet that requirement in this game."

In addition, when talking about Draymond Green, Steve Kerr said, "When he plays center, we have him do more screens and rolls to the basket. He's more of a playmaking center. When Al Horford plays center, he's more of a shooter."

“Draymond Green’s desire to win and his intelligence are very important to us. He’s a defensive genius and extremely competitive. It’s not easy for him without Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry, but I appreciate that he’s still fighting.”

Steve Kerr added, "I've enjoyed this season. The players have been fighting and have found ways to win. This wasn't our day, but it's a great team and it's been a lot of fun coaching them."

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