Steve Kerr called Pat Spencer “the f—ing one” after upset over Cavs

It’s Pat Spencer’s world, and we’re all just living in it.

Coming off a heartbreaking buzzer beater loss in Philly 48 hours earlierexpectations were low for the Warriors against the all-star Cleveland Cavaliers. With six players inactive due to injury, including Draymond Green and Jimmy Butlerit looked like the Dubs were saving their health for the Bulls in Chicago the next night, hitting on the front end of back to back.

But led by Spencer, the remaining ten healthy warriors did not roll over. Golden State pulled off a miraculous 99-94 rout of the Cavs as Spencer finished with a team-high 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting to go along with seven assists.

“We just competed tonight,” Spencer said after the game, channeling the rockish vibes of the Dubs’ locker room. “We’re trying to ride out the storm until we’re healed, but yeah, we’re fired up there.”

The defense plagued the Cavs’ offense all night, holding them to 34.6 percent from the floor and 23.8 percent from beyond the arc. The offense picked up where they left off in the failed 24-point comeback against the Sixers, moving the ball, running at a fast pace and playing together as a collective unit without an engine like Butler or Stephen Curry to rely on.

“We were on the line, we were connected,” Kerr said. He cited the Dubs’ transition defense for holding Cleveland, one of the fastest teams in the league, to just eight rushing points. “Our guys really fought and just stuck with it. So it was really fun to see them pull it off.”

Pat Spencer’s big moment against the Cavs

It was a true display of strength in numbers for the star-less Dubs. Gui Santos scored 14 points, three rebounds and three assists. Quinten Post continued his steady five-minute game with 12 points and nine boards in the trenches as the lead defender on Evan Mobley. Buddy Hield found his shot, burying 14 points on 3-of-6 from beyond the arc.

But in the fourth quarter, with Cavs and Donovan Mitchell waking up, Spencer took over. He scored 12 of his game-high 19 points, including two big 3-pointers to keep Cleveland at bay. With Butler watching on the sidelines and Stephen Curry in Bay resting a quad contusion, Golden State ran everything through Spencer to create offense.

“That’s the pick-and-roll threat he brings,” Kerr said. “He just takes care of the ball. One turnover in 30 minutes tonight, and seven assists. He just gets us into a really good offensive rhythm and gets guys shooting. He just creates really good possessions. Even when we don’t score, the possessions feel good when he’s there.”

But Spencer brought the energy factor with him in the fourth.

Just as he told all Sixers fans, “I’m the f—ing one,” during his moment in Philly, Spencer chirped with Cavs fans. He showed them Johnny Manziel’s money hands after his big 3-pointers, and waved goodbye when he buried a pair of game-clinching free throws.

“I’m just gonna say it, Pat’s a dick,” Guy Santos laughed after the game. “After every bucket, he always says something. He looks at the bench, looks at the fans, beats his chest and everything like that because he really loves the competition.”

Pat Spencer’s journey with the Warriors to this point

The 29-year-old Spencer is currently playing some of the best basketball of his life; a long and winding journey to this point. He was widely regarded as one of the best lacrosse players in college history before he put down his stick to pick up a basketball and move to the hardwood.

In 2022, Spencer signed a 10-game contract with the Warriors before later joining their Santa Cruz G-League affiliate. Since then, he has bounced back and forth on a two-way contract, using the time to hone his skills and improve his game. But what he did this season was a revelation. Kerr pointed to Spencer’s improvements in his jump shot.

“He’s never going to be Steph (Curry), but he’s a threat out there. And that’s what it takes,” Kerr said, pointing to the spacing he creates for everyone else. “The quality of the shot now that we are with him on the floor is much better than it has been in the last few years.

Spencer has improved from 22.7 percent from the 3-point line last season to 39.1 percent this season so far, an age-old feat.

“It’s been years,” Spencer said. “It’s not an overnight process. I couldn’t shoot the ball in college and the first few years out of it. I had some coaches that I worked with and just put in the hours, man. I’m a believer that give me a few years to figure something out, I’ll figure it out.”

It’s a much-needed boost at a much-needed time for a Warriors team that has been in the dark and doom. But all the work Spencer has put in also comes down to who he is in his soul.

“I think the other thing is that his coach realized that Pat was the fucker,” Kerr laughed.