Steph Curry was less than impressed with some of the decisions made by the referees during the Golden State Warriors’ 103-102 loss against the LA Clippers on Monday.
The call in question was the highlight of Clippers forward John Collins’ ‘block’ on Gary Payton II, which ended up costing the Warriors two points in the final quarter. Replays showed that Payton released the ball while it was still on the glass before Collins made any contact, which should have been ruled goaltending under NBA rules.
Steve Kerr appeared to be furious with the decisions, which led to back-to-back technical fouls and his eventual ejection from the game.
Warriors star guard Steph Curry backed Coach Kerr’s behavior and admitted he was prepared to act similarly had Kerr not gone off on the officials.
“To be honest, I was going to do that, but I saw him. That’s why I fouled Kris Dunn—I was watching Coach go crazy, and I appreciated that. Two crazy calls in a row… I love that. That fire from Steve. Somebody had to do it tonight.”
Curry was equally amazed by the goaltending decision.
“I’ve never seen it where it’s a delayed call. Then, it was a foul. Oh, no basket. And then, literally the next possession, a clear goaltend. Seeing the replay and it’s hard to miss both of those in a momentum-swinging situation like that. Coach did the right thing”
The four-time champion did not finish the game after fouling out with 42.7 seconds remaining and his team trailing 101-100. He scored a team-high 26 points, with six assists and four rebounds in 34 minutes.
Steph Curry says he won’t foul out for the rest of his career
It’s hard to watch your team lose a close game when you can do nothing but stand on the sidelines. That’s something Steph Curry never wants to experience again after fouling out in the final minute.
The last time he fouled out before this game was five years ago.
When a reporter asked about his feelings during the final possession, Curry said it felt like ‘foreign territory.’
It was tough. So the good news is I probably won’t foul out the rest of my career.”
After spending a lot of time on the road this season, the Warriors return home for a season-long eight-game homestand they hope will help get their season back on track. They currently hold the eighth spot with a 19-18 record.
