Golden State is headed back to the Bay Area, not to Las Vegas for the next round of the NBA Cup after a loss in Houston. A frustrated Steve Kerr ranted postgame about a late-game call that gave the Rockets a chance to at the win and he’s going to write a check to the league because of it. But Stephen Curry nailed the reason the Warriors lost in his comments.
The call in question came after Curry missed a dagger 3-pointer with 11 seconds left, and in the scramble for the loose ball Jonathan Kumbinga was called for a loose ball foul on the Rockets’ Jeff Green. That gave Green two free throws with 3.5 seconds left, which he knocked down to give Houston the win.
Kerr was livid postgame and ranted at the officials, via NBC Sports Bay Area.
“I’m pissed off. I wanted to go to Las Vegas. We wanted to win this Cup, and we aren’t going because of a loose ball foul, 80 feet from the basket with the game on the line. I’ve never seen a loose-ball foul on a jump-ball situation 80 feet from the basket with the game on the line… That is unconscionable. I don’t even understand what just happened.
“Loose ball, diving on the floor, 80 feet from the basket and you’re going to give a guy two free throws to decide the game when people are scrambling for the ball. Just give them a timeout. Give them a timeout and let the players decide the game. That’s how you officiate, especially because the game was a complete wrestling match. They didn’t call anything…
“Our guys battled back, played their asses off and deserved to win that game – or at least have a chance for one stop at the end to finish the game. And that was taken from us by a call that I don’t think an elementary school referee would have made, because that guy would have had feel and said, ‘You know what, I’m not going to decide a game on a loose ball 80 feet from the basket.'”
Kerr can get out his checkbook now, the league will fine him for that rant. Referee crew chief Bill Kennedy, who made the call on the court, told a pool reporter, “The defender makes contact with the neck and shoulder area, warranting a personal foul to be called.”
While Kerr can rant about what was, at best, a questionable call, that’s not why his team lost the game. The Warriors had seven fourth-quarter turnovers (leading to 14 Warriors points) and 22 for the game. Golden State led this game by six points with 1:20 left and couldn’t hold on. There was much more than one call.
Most importantly, the Warriors didn’t score one point in the game’s final three minutes — late-game scoring droughts when defenses tighten up against the Warriors have become a thing. Curry hit the nail on the head postgame when talking about this being a real issue, via NBC Sports Bay Area.
“The pattern of scoreless droughts down the stretch has to be addressed, or else we’re going to be a mediocre team. I take responsibility for not being able to get us organized or not being able to finish plays. The ball is in my hands, I’ve got to make shots.
“But I think we all can address certain sets that can get us better shot-creation opportunities, knowing how teams are trying to guard us, especially in the last five minutes.”
Right now, the 14-10 Warriors are mediocre compared to a deep Western Conference (Golden State is currently seeded fifth, in a group where four games separate fourth and 12th in the conference). Curry is right about finding better sot creation if they want to advance in things bigger than the NBA Cup.
