The Golden State Warriors, led by Klay Thompson, lost to the Phoenix Suns on Opening Night. Despite the loss, head coach Steve Kerr praised Thompson’s performance on defense against Kevin Durant.

The Warriors fell short by a score of 108-104. Despite this, Thompson limited Durant to 18 points on 7-of-22 shooting. Kerr, according NBC Sports, wants to see more of the same defensive grit from Thompson as the Warriors continue their season.

“Klay was fantastic, in my opinion. “He tried his hardest to make things challenging for Kevin,” Kerr added. Once he gets that release above his head, there’s not much you can do. You should get your task done early.

I initially assumed that Klay was responsible for that. Off the field, he engaged him in physical contact. Tried to put him in some more difficult situations,” Kerr elaborated. Kevin didn’t make a few that he normally would have. But Klay is a rock on defense.

Draymond Green’s ankle injury forced him to miss the Warriors’ game against the Suns. As a result of their offseason trade for Chris Paul, the Warriors are likely to employ a lot of small-ball combinations this year. Klay Thompson may be asked to play defense against bigger opponents in the future.

Steve Kerr, however, isn’t worried about the disparity. Even though the Warriors lost against the Suns, coach Steve Kerr feels his team played well. Thompson’s defense on Durant was a major factor in their victory.