Game 1, Golden State @Memphis, was won by an obscure assistant coach

[Auggie]

Well, Klay Thompson actually made the defensive play. But he knew what to expect thanks to Jacob Rubin, the Warriors players development coach.

Except from the San Francisco Chronicle:

MEMPHIS — The man who left one of the biggest imprints on the Warriors’ Game 1 win over the Grizzlies on Sunday afternoon is a first-year player-development coach who didn’t play a minute of college basketball.

While helping put together Golden State’s scouting report of Memphis, Jacob Rubin earmarked an inbounds play the Grizzlies like to use in late-game situations. With 3.6 seconds left in Game 1 and Golden State nursing a one-point lead, he cued up the sequence on his iPad, played it during the Warriors’ team huddle and told guard Klay Thompson, “Be prepared to cut off (Ja) Morant on the drive.”

Just as Rubin had predicted, Morant caught a pass from Brandon Clarke near the top of the arc and, with Golden State guard Gary Payton II losing track of him, darted into the left lane. Remembering Rubin’s directive, Thompson cut off Morant at the top of the key and forced him into an off-kilter scoop layup.

The ensuing miss gave the Warriors a 1-0 series lead and enabled Golden State to overcome Thompson’s two missed free-throw tries moments earlier. Asked about that late stop during his postgame news conference, Thompson said, “Give credit to Jacob Rubin. He’s the one that told me that out-of-bounds play was coming.”

Link (paywall): https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/warriors/article/Meet-the-man-behind-Warriors-Game-1-saving-17143167.php

I love stories like these: a little something the coaching staff or a player picks up by doing the homework.

Warriors won the game 117-116.

[brush]

1. Good call by the coach. Very astute anticipation. He'll move up.