Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was fuming after his team lost 91-90 to the Houston Rockets in the NBA Cup on Wednesday following a contentious officiating call. (More Sports News)
The Warrioꦉrs had been a point up in the final seconds of the fourth quarter when Stephen Curry missed a 3-point attempt, which resulted in a scram๊ble for possession and bodies hitting the floor.
Gary Payton II got possession of a rebound on the 🌞floor, but Housto🉐n guard Fred VanVleet slid on top of him with Payton attempting to pass to Warriors team-mate Jonathan Kuminga.
Kuminga and Jalen Green, of the Rockets, ended up 𝔍on the floor to get the loose ball, but Kuminga was called for a personal foul with 3.5 seconds to go. Green then hit both free throws to send the Roc꧂kets through to the semifinals in Las Vegas.
"I'm p***** o𝕴ff," Kerr said, following the game. "I wanted to go to Las Vegas.
"We wanted to win this cup, an♛d we aren't going because of a loose ball foul, 80 feet from the baske🥀t with the game on the line. I've never seen anything like it in my life, and that was ridiculous.
"I've never se♏en a loose ball foul on a jump ball situation, 80 feet from the basket with the game on the line.
"I've never🍌 seen that. I think I saw it in college one time 30 years ago. Never seen it in the NBA. That is, I mean, unconscionable. I do🃏n't even understand what just happened.
"Loose𒐪 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 and let the players decide the game. Th🌸at's how you officiate. Especially bec💙ause the game was a complete wrestling match. They didn't call anything.
"So you've establiꦚshe💜d you're just not going to call anything throughout the game.
"It's a physical game, and call a loos𝓡e ball foul on a jump ball situation with guys diving on the floor? With the game on the line? This is a billion-dollar industry. You got peop🍎le's jobs on the line."
Officiating crew chief Bill Kennedy was the 🦩one who calledꦿ the personal foul on Kuminga, and he explained his decision after the game.
"The defender makes con༺tact with the neck and shoulder area, warranting a personal foul to be called," he said.
Regardless, Warriors point guard Curry echoed the emotions of his coach, saying: "I haven't seen the replay, but ... if you're telling me it was a clear foul, I'll shut up꧒, but I don'tཧ think that's the case.
"Was it? There's indecision in the group, so that means then let the game play out and let us decide it and not two free throws, 90 feet fromꦚ the basket.
&quo🔴t;We can talk abo🐬ut the refs all day, it's not why we lost. There are swings in the game, but obviously the last two free throws and that play, it's a five-point swing."
