Warriors coach Steve Kerr was heated after a questionable foul in the final seconds of Golden State’s 91-90 NBA Cup quarterfinal loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, but the NBA’s Last Two Minute Report offers a contrary argument.

The league concluded that officials made the right decision when they whistled Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga for a foul on Rockets guard Jalen Green as the two fought for a loose ball with 3.1 seconds left in the game to secure.

In its report, the NBA states: “Kuminga (GSW) reaches over Green (HOU) to get the ball and pulls it downward with his shoulder.”

HOUSTON IS IN THE LEAD AFTER THIS WILD SEQUENCE 😱 pic.twitter.com/vg6xPLZUBx

– NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 12, 2024

Additionally, the NBA stated that the officials made the correct non-decision by not calling a loose ball foul or a personal foul on Rockets guard Fred VanVleet for making contact with Warriors winger Gary on the same play Payton II, had recorded.

The report identifies two calls that officials also missed – a five-second violation against Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski on Golden State’s game-ending inbounds play and a three-second violation against Rockets forward Dillon Brooks , 1:41 left in the game.

After the Warriors’ defeat, which eliminated them from the cup, Kerr attacked the officials to call out Kuminga.

“I have never seen a loose-ball foul on a jump-ball situation 80 feet from the basket with the game on the line,” Kerr said. “I’ve never seen that before. I think I saw it once in college 30 years ago. Never seen it in the NBA. This is unacceptable. I don’t even understand what just happened.

“Loose ball, jump to the floor, 80 feet from the basket and you give a player two free throws to tie the game while people are fighting for the ball. Just give them a break. Give them a time out and let the players decide the game. That’s the way to officiate, especially because the game was a complete wrestling match. They didn’t call anything.

“Steph Curry was clearly hit in the elbow on a jump shot. Just punched straight on the arm – no decision. You have determined that you will simply not call anything during the game. It’s a physical game. You call a loose ball foul in a jump ball situation where guys are jumping around on the floor and the game is on the line. This is a billion dollar industry. Other people’s jobs are at stake. I’m stunned. I’m stunned.

“I give the Rockets credit. They fought back and played great defense all night. But I feel for our boys. Our guys fought back, worked their butts off and deserved to win the game – or at least have a chance for a stop at the end to end the game. And that was taken away from us by a call that I don’t think an elementary school referee would have made, because that guy would have felt and said, “You know what, I’m not going to tie a game.” Ball 80 feet from the basket .’ ”

And crew chief Billy Kennedy explained the call in far fewer words to pool reporter Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle after the game at Toyota Center.

“The defender makes contact with the neck and shoulder area, which warrants a personal foul,” Kennedy said.

Ultimately, the Warriors made far too many mistakes in Wednesday’s game and left the outcome up to the referees. And no matter what the Last Two Minute Report – or Kerr – says, the loss is still a loss.

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