DENVER — A livid Steve Kerr screamed at officers following Golden State‘s 119-115 loss at Denver on Tuesday evening, saying the crew did not see that Nuggets guard Christian Braun signaled for a timeout after securing a unfastened ball with 1.9 seconds left — regardless of Denver being out of timeouts.
Kerr argued that Denver ought to have been assessed a technical foul, which might have given the Warriors a free throw and possession of the ball. Instead, crew chief Tyler Ford known as for a leap ball with 1.9 seconds remaining within the recreation and the Warriors trailing by 4.
“Braun known as a timeout,” Kerr mentioned. “He dove on the ground, he rolled over. Everybody noticed it apart from the three guys we rent to do the video games, and that makes me offended. That’s a technical foul. They do not have a timeout left. We shoot a free throw, we get the ball, we bought an opportunity to win the sport.
“They [the officials] all instructed me they did not see it. … It’s as much as the referees to see [it]. That’s why now we have three of them. Somebody’s bought to see it. So yeah, that made me mad.”
Ford instructed a pool reporter after the sport that the Nuggets weren’t assessed a technical foul as a result of not one of the officers noticed Braun clearly sign for a timeout.
“Christian Braun by no means totally or clearly signaled for a timeout,” Ford mentioned. “Therefore a timeout was not acknowledged.”
Braun mentioned he knew his workforce did not have a timeout remaining as a result of Denver coach Michael Malone and his employees talked about it.
“No,” Braun mentioned when requested if he known as timeout. “It would possibly’ve regarded prefer it perhaps. I used to be fumbling the ball on the bottom a bit of bit. My fingers moved, however the refs did not name it.”
It was a irritating ending for the Warriors, who misplaced their fifth consecutive recreation by blowing a six-point lead within the closing 2:32. Denver trailed Golden State by 11 with 6:13 left however completed the sport on a 21-6 run.
The Warriors performed with out Draymond Green, who was sidelined by left calf tightness and can endure an MRI on Wednesday, based on Kerr.
With Green watching from the bench, the Warriors could not cease reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, who completed with 38 factors, 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals.
Stephen Curry had 24 factors, 11 assists and seven rebounds for the Warriors, who now need to journey to Houston subsequent week for a quarterfinal NBA Cup game. Had the Warriors received Tuesday, they might’ve hosted the Dallas Mavericks subsequent week as a substitute.
“That’s not why we misplaced,” Kerr mentioned of the Braun play. “We misplaced as a result of we did not shut. Again. This is just like the fifth recreation in a row the place we have — perhaps not all 5 [losses] — however most of those video games on this stretch, we’re not closing, we’re not executing, we’re not making good choices, and it is bought to enhance.”
The Warriors blew a 17-point lead within the closing 13:55 in a loss at San Antonio on Nov. 23. They adopted that up by squandering an 18-point third-quarter result in the Brooklyn Nets at residence on Nov. 25.
After beginning the season 12-3, Golden State is now 12-8 and has a back-to-back at residence this weekend towards Houston and Minnesota.
“We turned it over three or 4 occasions in the previous couple of minutes of the primary half and gave up a 12-point lead as a result of we tried to hit residence runs,” Kerr mentioned. “And this league is unforgiving. If you assume you are going to get on a spotlight reel, present all people what a particular play you can also make, it may be a turnover. We bought to hit singles, we bought to make easy choices. And after we try this, we’re actually good.
“… We need to turn into a greater decision-making workforce. And that is irritating proper now. Poor choices are resulting in poor possessions, which is resulting in this shedding streak.”
