With only 11 games left this season, every moment counts for the Golden State Warriors.
In Sunday’s game against the Spurs — the Warriors’ first matchup without the injured Steph Curry — Golden State attempted to take the lead within the final seconds. However, two last-minute fouls shifted the trajectory of the game and left Warriors head coach Steve Kerr reeling.
“The fouls at the end were bizarre … I’m shocked,” Kerr said following the 110-108 loss to the Spurs. “I don’t know how those calls can be made. To call fouls in that situation, both of them, one that went for us and one that went against us, I don’t understand. I don’t understand how we can decide the game based on plays that have nothing to do with the game. Players are supposed to decide the game.”
After rallying back from a 10-point deficit in the second half, the Warriors appeared poised to take the game as it entered its final minutes. Missed jump shots from Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole, however, kicked off a slew of missed opportunities that cost them the game.
Golden State’s Andrew Wiggins was sent to the charity stripe after the Spurs’ Devin Vassell fouled, splitting his shots. The Spurs quickly tied the game as San Antonio’s Jakob Poeltl also made one of two free throws after he was fouled by the Warriors’ Kevon Looney, a foul that the team couldn’t understand.
“Wiggs had the ball, and it’s up to him to create a little space and get it out of traffic and get someone a game-winning look,” Kerr said. “And then, on the other end, I got everybody in the locker room after the game telling me they have no idea why Looney got called for the foul. He got tangled up. This is how every play goes.”
It was the foul on Looney that changed the momentum in San Antonio’s favor, ultimately allowing Keldon Johnson to get an offensive rebound and make the game-winning, buzzer-beating shot.
According to Kerr, his perception of his team’s performance was only positive up until those free throws, especially in light of Curry’s sprained left foot, and Draymond Green’s ejection in the second half after he was given back-to-back technical fouls.
Green picked up his second tech less than a minute after his first. While Kerr said that Green never “made it personal” or cursed at game officials, the 32-year-old did not agree with the call and protested it. Kerr was evidently frustrated by Green’s actions, especially on a night without the Warriors’ biggest star.
“Once he gets the first one, he understands what it takes to get the second one. And he didn’t think he deserved it,” Kerr said. “But he cannot get kicked out of the game. He knows we’re short-handed already.”
“We have to understand that we are undermanned, we have 11 games left, we’re looking at the playoffs,” Kerr added. “There’s got to be a sense of urgency. There’s got to be a sense of competitive fight that we take to the other team from the very beginning.”
Golden State has at least two more weeks without Curry and one of its toughest stretches of games to date. The Warriors hit the road for a five-game trip, which includes two sets of back-to-backs. They play the East-leading Heat on Wednesday and next Monday face the Grizzlies, who are 1.5 games ahead of the Warriors for the No. 2 seed in the West.