The Houston Rockets defeated the Golden State Warriors 91-90 in a thrilling Wednesday night matchup that came down to a pair of free throws off of a controversial foul call. The victory officially ends the Warriors' 15-game win streak over Houston and sends the Rockets to the semifinals of the NBA Cup.
But speaking of that foul, an exasperated Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was none too happy in his post-game presser.
"That is ... I mean ... unconscionable," Kerr told reporters when asked about the call. "I don't even understand what just happened." He said he would have rather Houston been given a time out, so the players could "decide the game."
"That's how you officiate. Especially because the game was a complete wrestling match. They didn't call anything," he goes on, highlighting a "plain-as-day" hit to Steph Curry's elbow that went unnoticed.
"I am stunned. I give the Rockets credit, they battled back. They played great defense all night. But I feel for our guys. Our guys battled back. Played their a--es 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 I don't think an elementary school referee would have made."
Here's a clip of his full response to the question:
Steve Kerr called the loose ball foul that decided the game with 3.5 seconds left an “unconscionable” whistle and something an “elementary school” official wouldn’t have called.
Here’s his full soundbite pic.twitter.com/E9O8Inurcl
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 12, 2024
With just seconds left in the game and the Warriors up 90–89, a loose ball foul against Golden State's Jonathan Kuminga allotted two free throws for Houston's Jalen Green. Green sank both, and the Rockets walked away with the win. As The Athletic's Anthony Slater points out in the above clip, the Warriors did blow a six-point lead in the final 77 seconds. The Warriors didn't score in the final 183 seconds. But as is often the case, this call will likely be the thing on everyone's minds.
Houston now advances to the NBA Cup semifinals, where they'll meet the Oklahoma City Thunder on Dec. 14.