Steve Kerr deems foul call that led to Warriors’ loss to Rockets in NBA Cup ‘unconscionable’

HOUSTON (AP) — Golden State coach Steve Kerr said a foul call against his team that led to a loss to Houston on Wednesday night in the NBA Cup was “unconscionable” and that an elementary school referee wouldn’t have made it.

After Stephen Curry missed a 3-pointer with Golden State up a point with 11 seconds to go, Gary Payton II grabbed the offensive rebound, but turned it over with a pass that Jalen Green intercepted. Jonathan Kuminga was then called for a foul against Green while they were on the floor, giving Green a pair of free throws that lifted Houston to the 91-90 victory and a spot in the NBA Cup semifinals.

“That is unconscionable,” Kerr said. “I mean, I don’t even understand what just happened.”

Kerr thought it should have either been a jump ball or the Rockets should have been given the timeout they were attempting to call.

“Our guys battled back, played their (expletives) off and deserved to win that game or at least have a chance for one stop at the end to finish the game,” he said. “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.’”

Crew chief Billy Kennedy was asked by a pool reporter why the foul was called.

“The defender makes contact with the neck and shoulder area, warranting a personal foul to be called,” Kennedy said.

Kerr ranted for about two minutes about the officiating after the game and complained about what he believed was a clear foul on Curry that wasn’t called earlier.

“The game was a complete wrestling match,” Kerr said. “They didn’t call anything. Steph Curry got hit on the elbow plain as day on a jump shot, just clubbed right on there and no call. So, you’ve established that you’re just not going to call anything throughout the game, it’s a physical game. Then you’re going to call a loose ball foul on a jump ball situation with guys diving on the floor with the game on the line?”

Houston snapped a 15-game skid against the Warriors, winning for the first time in the series since Feb. 20, 2020 when James Harden and Russell Westbrook led the Rockets.

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