Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr offered great praise for Pat Spencer after the undrafted third-year guard posted 19 points and seven assists to lead the Dubs to a 99-94 road win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.
Kerr then apologized for his profanity, but one can certainly understand his passion here after Spencer excelled.
The Warriors missed Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Al Horford due to injury. The Cavaliers were a bit shorthanded themselves (e.g. Jarrett Allen, Lonzo Ball) but still had the likes of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Darius Garland, among others.
Despite the tall odds, Spencer led the Warriors to victory. Over the final 8:06, Spencer had 12 points and two assists. His scoring effort included back-to-back three-pointers to turn an 82-77 edge into an 88-77 advantage with 6:14 remaining.
The Warriors led by 13 points in the fourth, but Cleveland fought back to cut the lead to one possession.
Mitchell had a look from three to tie the game, but it was off the mark. Spencer iced this one with a pair of free throws for the five-point win.
He had a message for fans following the first make.
Spencer is a former superstar college lacrosse player who transitioned to basketball and has now found a home with Golden State.
Over his last three games, Spencer has averaged 17.3 points and 5.7 assists. He’ll look to keep the hot streak going when the 12-12 Warriors visit the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.