The Houston Rockets narrowly defeated the Golden State Warriors 91-90 in the NBA Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday night. The game was decided by a controversial foul call with just 3.5 seconds remaining.
The Warriors led 90-89 when Jonathan Kuminga was called for a loose ball foul on Rockets guard Jalen Green. Green made both free throws, giving the Rockets a one-point lead. In the final seconds, Jabari Smith Jr. blocked a shot by Brandin Podziemski, securing the Rockets’ victory and advancing them to the semifinals in Las Vegas.
The call sparked immediate controversy, with Warriors coach Steve Kerr expressing his frustration in a heated post-game press conference. Kerr, visibly upset, criticized the referees for their decision, calling it “unconscionable”. He added,
“I’ve never seen a loose-ball foul on a jump-ball situation 80 feet from the basket with the game on the line. I think I saw it in college one time 30 years ago. Never seen it in the NBA.”
Kerr continued his tirade, lamenting the lack of calls throughout the game and questioning the integrity of the officiating.
“Steph Curry got hit on the elbow, plain as day, on a jump shot. Just clubbed right on the arm – no call. You’ve established you’re just not going to call anything throughout the game. It’s a physical game. 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. This is a billion-dollar industry. You’ve got people’s jobs on the line. I am stunned. I’m stunned.”
Despite the loss, Kerr acknowledged the Rockets’ effort, saying,
“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 asses 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 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.'”
Steve Kerr goes off on refs after Warriors loss pic.twitter.com/YxtUGocMRz
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 12, 2024
The Warriors, who had a perfect record of 46-0 when leading by six or more points in the last 1:30 minutes of a game under Kerr, saw their streak come to an end. The Rockets will now face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the semifinals on Saturday.
