Steve Kerr Out for Game 4 of Blazers vs. Warriors, May Miss Remainder of NBA Playoffs

Update (3:05 pm): At noon on Sunday, Ramona Shelburne reported that Kerr is feeling slightly better.

However, at 3:00. he met with the media, and announced he will not be coaching in Game 4.

He also said that his status for the rest of the 2017 NBA Playoffs is in doubt.

The Golden State Warriors, up 3-0 in their first round series with the Portland Trail Blazers, are far from 100 percent. In addition to being without superstar Kevin Durant and role players Shaun Livingston and Matt Barnes, the team will now be without head coach Steve Kerr.

This is not uncharted territory for the team, which played its first 43 games last season under interim head coach Luke Walton, as Kerr recovered from back surgery complications. This time around, however, the lack of certainty in terms of both the severity of the illness, as well as a timetable for a return, is particularly concerning to the team.

Marcus Thompson II of The Mercury News reports that Kerr is expected to miss at least the rest of the Warriors’ first round series with Trail Blazers, and sheds some light on Kerr’s physical condition:

His sudden and mysterious absence from the Warriors bench, which came to light at shootaround on Saturday morning, didn’t come with much explanation. Vague descriptions like “illness” and “not feeling well,” are usually a sign something is wrong. In this case, according to sources, it is.

At the worst of this current illness, Kerr was in excruciating pain, according to the sources, and he could barely walk. It was scary because it wasn’t a feeling he’s had before.

The worst part, the Warriors don’t yet know what is going on. They had to say “illness” because there are no answers yet.

Kerr hasn’t felt well all series, according to people around him, and recently it became unbearable. It is unknown if these issues are even related to his past well-known health problems.

Kerr, a former Blazer, will hand over the coaching reigns to lead assistant Mike Brown, until he is able to return to the bench. Brown has previously been the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers, and is no stranger to playoff basketball.

Thompson writes that the absence of Kerr, not Durant, is the most significant health concern for the Warriors right now. Durant, who played in Game 1 before sitting out Games 2 and 3 due to a calf strain, is sidelined largely for precautionary reasons. This does not appear to be the case for Kerr, who coached the Warriors for all 82 games of the regular season.

This story will be updated with any new information on Kerr’s condition or return.