Schrӧder’s clutch fourth quarter shows how he can help Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Even though his shot isn’t falling with the consistency he has been hoping for since being acquired in a trade from the Brooklyn Nets two weeks ago, Dennis Schrӧder showed Saturday why he still can be a factor for the Warriors.
Despite another rough shooting night, the 31-year-old guard came up big when it mattered the most against the Phoenix Suns. He scored 11 points but had seven of them in the fourth quarter, including a clutch 30-foot 3-pointer with 83 seconds remaining.
Schrӧder also grabbed a critical rebound, helped contain Suns sharpshooter Bradley Beal and made key free throws in the final moments, helping Golden State secure a much-needed 109-105 victory at Chase Center.
“Those are winning plays, those are big-time plays,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Even though [Schrӧder’s] been struggling shooting, his ability to handle the ball allowed Steph [Curry] to get off the ball. His defense on the ball, putting pressure up and down the floor.”
Schrӧder’s shooting, or lack thereof, has been an issue for the veteran guard ever since his arrival from Brooklyn.
Kerr and Schrӧder’s Golden State teammates remained optimistic that things eventually would turn around. On Saturday, Schrӧder rewarded them for their confidence.
“Felt good for sure to knock down the three,” Schrӧder said. “Coming into this organization you play with Steph Curry, Draymond [Green], Andrew Wiggins, [Jonathan] Kuminga, you just got to fit in kind of. We’re just figuring it out now. It’s been a rough couple of games, but I’m glad we won the game.”
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The Warriors added Schrӧder in the hopes of relieving some of the pressure from Curry’s shoulders as the primary ball-handler. Schrӧder’s defense also has been an alluring aspect to his game, and Golden State will take all the defensive help it can get.
Schrӧder came up big at the end against Beal but spent a large chunk of the night defending Suns guard Tyus Jones, who scored just eight points on 3-of-11 shooting in 32 minutes.
“I just got to focus on that side of the ball first,” Schrӧder said. “That’s what I did my whole career. That’s what got me on the floor when I was in Atlanta. I got to set the tone on the defensive end, picking up from 94 feet, and the offensive end is going to come.”
Fans at Chase Center got a small glimpse of that when Schrӧder went on his spree in the fourth quarter. It wasn’t all that surprising to Draymond Green, though, especially the clutch 3-pointer that Schrӧder made with the clock winding down.
“We’ve been on the wrong side of him making big plays like that for years, so when the ball went to him [and] when he took the shot, we all knew that it had a chance,” Green said. “When you look at the plays he made down the stretch, it wasn’t just that play. He was great. We’re not going to get caught up in makes and misses. The ball just hasn’t been going in for us lately.”
It finally went in for Schrӧder at a critical time, a perfect Christmas gift for the Warriors newcomer who still is trying to get comfortable in his new surroundings.
“It’s been tough,” Schrӧder said on “Warriors Postgame Live.” “My family is not here. My kids, my wife, everybody’s still in Brooklyn. I’m adjusting to it. The guys took me in really comfortably. I’m really comfortable with those guys. Definitely it felt good tonight.”
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