HOUSTON — A livid Steve Kerr said the officiating crew made a call he has never seen in his NBA career, and it cost the Golden State Warriors a 91-90 loss to the Houston Rockets and a chance to go to the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas.
«I'm pissed off,» Kerr said, echoing the Warriors locker room late Wednesday night. «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 anything like it in my life, and that was ridiculous.»
With the Warriors up by one in the final seconds, Stephen Curry missed a 3-point attempt and a scramble for the loose ball ensued as bodies from both teams hit the floor.
Gary Payton II got possession of a rebound on the floor, but Houston guard Fred VanVleet slid on top of him and Payton tried to pass the ball to Jonathan Kuminga. Kuminga and the Rockets' Jalen Green hit the floor for the loose ball, and Kuminga was called for a personal foul with 3.5 seconds left. Kerr could only watch with his mouth agape.
Green buried both free throws to give the Rockets a 91-90 lead. On the final possession, Curry was blanketed near the sideline and passed to Brandin Podziemski, whose 3-point attempt from the corner was blocked by Jabari Smith Jr. to secure the win for Houston and snap a 15-game losing streak to the Warriors.
Houston will face Oklahoma City on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Afterward, a furious Kerr lit into the officiating crew, led by crew chief Bill Kennedy, who called the personal foul on Kuminga. Kerr and the Warriors argued that officials had allowed both teams to play a very physical game up to that point.
«I've never seen a loose ball foul on a jump ball situation, 80 feet
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