Steve Kerr was furious after the Warriors were eliminated by the Rockets after a polemic last-second play in which their rivals drew a foul and sunk two free throws, earning a tight 91-90 victory in this week’s NBA Cup quarterfinals. The Golden State coach ranted on about how poor the referees handled the situation.
Despite his criticism during Wednesday night’s postgame press conference, the league officials remain convinced they made the right decision. When asked about the controversy, crew chief Billy Kennedy defended their call in a few words.
“Why was a loose ball foul called on a scramble situation 80 feet from the basket in the final seconds?” asked reporter Jonathan Feigen, to what the referee responded, “The defender makes contact with the neck and shoulder area, warranting a personal foul to be called.”
The NBA’s L2M Report confirms that Jonathan Kuminga’s foul on Jalen Green in the final seconds of Warriors-Rockets was the correct call.
“Kuminga reaches over Green in an attempt to get to the ball and pulls his shoulder down.”
Dubs were leading by one point at the time of the… pic.twitter.com/tqSK1NeMI2
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 13, 2024
Let’s dive into the play. During the final 30 seconds of the contest, Stephen Curry got an open three-pointer and missed. Teammate Gary Payton II was able to get the rebound, but found himself surrounded by Rockets players, as rival Jalen Green eventually stole the ball a drew a foul.
In what ended as a straight-up thriller in the final seconds, the Houston team finally scored their two opportunities from the foul line, turning the game into their first win against Golden State in almost four seasons. According to Kerr, he had never seen something like it in all of his years in the league.
“A loose ball situation, 80 feet from the basket, with the game on the line. I’ve never seen that. Think I saw it in college one time, 30 years ago. Never seen it in the NBA. That is unconscionable. I don’t even understand what just happened,” the Warriors coach explained his position about the final play.
The veteran tactician simply wasn’t having it. “This is a billion dollar industry. You’ve got people’s jobs on the line,” he said postgame. “Our guys deserved to win that game or at least have a chance for one stop at the end to finish the game.”
The Rockets snapped a 15-game losing streak against the Warriors, and will now face the Thunder in the NBA Cup Semifinals
Whatever happened in that final play, now it’s a thing of the past. The Houston club was able to snap a 15-game losing streak against Golden State and are now bound to Las Vegas where they will face Oklahoma City this weekend in the NBA Cup’s semifinals stage.
Rival coach Mark Daigneault praised Houston’s Ime Udoka for the culture he’s cultivated within the Rockets’ locker room. “You can feel it—it’s remarkably evident,” said the Thunder tactician. “Udoka has crafted a squad brimming with athleticism, featuring electric talents at multiple positions.”
Mark then added the individual skill inside Houston’s ranks. “While Thompson certainly makes his presence felt, you can’t overlook Eason’s scrappiness. Jabari Smith brings excellent positional size, not to mention Brooks and VanVleet, who are both seasoned, defensively astute players,” Daigneault said.
The matchup is set for this Saturday in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the winner of this clash moving one step closer to the Cup Championship, a title that has only been conquered by the Lakers in last year’s first-ever tournament.
