HOUSTON – The Golden State Warriors were 76 seconds away from a trip to Las Vegas and taking center stage as a marquee team in the league’s second annual NBA Cup. Thirty minutes later, players and coaches instead debated and grumbled in a largely subdued Houston locker room about what they said was an egregious mistake by the referee that stopped the game another Shocking, treacherous late game defeat.

They led by six with 1:16 left. The value had dropped to one when Stephen Curry fired an ill-advised three-pointer on the penultimate offensive possession too early in the shot clock. Curry could have milked the game clock below five. Instead, he got a lead over Dillon Brooks with nine seconds left on the shot clock and 12.5 seconds left in the game.

That left enough time for a loose-ball double scramble rebound that would eventually bounce into the hands of Jalen Green, leaving crew chief Billy Kennedy in the spotlight and coach Steve Kerr in another after the Warriors’ stunning 91-90 heated media session after the game would bring down loss.

“I don’t even understand what just happened,” Kerr said. “If you lose the ball, jump to the floor, 80 feet from the basket, you give a player two free throws to win the game.”

This was a particularly physical NBA game, played with playoff intensity and loosely officiated. The teams combined managed just 19 free throws in 48 minutes. When Curry’s miss ricocheted to the right wing, Gary Payton II jumped on it and initially had control with 7.3 seconds left. He later blamed himself for not sticking with it or calling the Warriors’ final timeout.

But Golden State’s locker room was upset after the game over another aspect of the first tussle. After Payton gained control, Fred VanVleet landed on top of him. They agreed to the spirit of the no-call, two players dealing with the play on the line. But it only deepened their anger when four seconds later – after Payton threw an errant pass into the middle of the pitch – Kennedy whistled Jonathan Kuminga for a similar move when he landed on Green, who was fighting for a loose ball.

The Warriors were in the bonus. It gave Green two free throws. He did both. The Rockets rallied from a 90-89 deficit to win 91-90.

“This is unreasonable,” Kerr said. “Just give them a break. Give them a time out and let the players decide the game. This is how you officiate. Especially because the game was a complete wrestling match. They didn’t call anything. Steph Curry was hit in the elbow on a jump shot. Beaten. No call. So you have decided that you will not call anything during the entire game. Then in a jump ball situation where guys are jumping around on the floor and the game is on the line, are you going to call a loose ball?”

Kennedy confirmed his foul in a pool report after the game, stating only: “The defender makes contact with the neck and shoulder area, which warrants a personal foul.”

The Rockets were EVERYWHERE in this game-winning sequence 🔥

HOU is on the way to #EmiratesNBACup Semifinals! pic.twitter.com/9eOzB2npUy

– NBA (@NBA) December 12, 2024

“This is a billion-dollar industry,” Kerr said. “People’s jobs are at stake. I’m stunned. I give the Rockets credit. They fought back. But I feel for our boys. Our boys deserved to win the game or at least have a chance for a stop at the end to end the game. That was taken away from us by a call that I don’t think a normal referee would have made, because that guy would have felt and said, ‘You know what?’ I’m not going to give the game away because of a loose ball 80 feet away Basket away decide.’”

The Warriors still had a timeout. Kerr could have disputed the call, but he chose not to.

“It wouldn’t have been undone,” Kerr said. “I had to save it for the following game.”

Kennedy’s call dominated the postgame conversation. If the Rockets had been granted a timeout instead, a defensive stop by the Warriors would have meant a regular-season win over a close rival in the standings, a 15-9 record and a trip to Las Vegas for a Cup leg, like Curry said I really wanted to experience it. The loss instead dropped them to 14-10 and sent them home for a Sunday game against the Dallas Mavericks.

But there is much more blame for what happened before Kennedy’s call. The Warriors’ offense once again fell silent in crunch time, as it did in recent losses to the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets. They didn’t score a goal for 3:03 in the final. There were repeated shot clock violations. They had a strategic mix-up on a Draymond Green turnover. They lost a six-point lead within 76 seconds.

On the other hand, Brandin Podziemski made the biggest defensive mistake when he went under a screen from Alperen Şengün, which gave VanVleet the opportunity to hit a 3 with 1:16 left and cut the lead from six to three.

FVV FOR 3 🔥🔥

The Warriors lead by 3 points in Houston 👀

🏆 1:15 left in the 4th quarter
🏆 #EmiratesNBACup Quarterfinals on TNT pic.twitter.com/hkqlusUf2T

– NBA (@NBA) December 12, 2024

The Warriors were up three with 27.2 seconds left and left Şengün in the lane for a layup. Ime Udoka chose not to foul, which was an obvious risk, leaving only 3.2 seconds difference between the shot and the game clock. Had Curry been able to milk it near zero before firing a 3, he could have essentially run out the clock if he hit the rim. But instead he chose to take the dagger at his longtime nemesis Dillon Brooks.

Did he leave too soon or did he like the look too much?

“Both,” Curry said. “Probably a few seconds too early. … If I get the shot, we’ll be on a plane to Vegas.”

Curry missed it. The ensuing scuffle turned into a nightmare scenario. The Warriors lost and were forced to look in the mirror again and ask themselves why they couldn’t seem to close out as many close games lately.

“The pattern of scoreless droughts down the stretch needs to be addressed or we will be a mediocre team,” Curry said. “I take responsibility for our inability to organize and finish the games. The ball is in my hands. I have to take pictures.

“But I think that knowing how teams are trying to protect us, especially in the last five minutes, we can all address certain phrases that can help us create better shooting opportunities. We’re talking about it. We experiment. This will be the defining point of our entire season. Whether we find out or not. Because we play well enough to win most games. That’s a good sign and a bad sign.”

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(Photo by Steph Curry: Alex Slitz / Getty Images)