A last-second loose ball foul call ended the Golden State Warriors’ 2024 NBA Cup aspirations.
The Golden State Warriors have had a rocky season so far, but winning the 2024 NBA Cup could have been the perfect morale booster for the organization.
Unfortunately, the Dubs’ dreams of lifting the trophy were shattered by the Houston Rockets in the quarter-finals.
Although the Warriors held the lead until the final 3.5 seconds of play, a moment of poor decisions from multiple players allowed the Rockets to walk away with a 91-90 win.
Read More: What Steve Kerr told coaches about Rockets court before NBA Cup loss that left him fuming
During the Warriors’ final possession of the game, veteran star Stephen Curry decided to end the game with a three-point shot. At the time, there was a 3.5-second difference in the shot and game clock, but 12.5 seconds were still on the board.
However, the Warriors superstar missed the shot. Thankfully, the ball was secured by Gary Payton II, who is one of the better defenders in the league.
For a while, Payton II regained control of the ball, albeit on the ground. But he decided to send the ball away towards the middle of the court and it allowed several players from both sides to fight for possession.
After the dust settled, refs called a loose ball foul on the Warriors as the Rockets were awarded two shots at the free-throw line.
With the game on the line, Rockets’ Jalen Green ensured to knock down both shots to send his team through to the semi-finals of the 2024 NBA Cup.
So, who was at fault during the play?
Read More: Golden State Warriors fans all make same point after loss to Houston Rockets in NBA Cup, one man held responsible
When holding a one-point lead, every split-second decision can make or break the game. Payton II believes he made the wrong move as he admitted his mistake after the game.
“Unfortunate. Dumb play by me. Unfortunate call leads to that. Just is what it is. Hold the ball. Jump ball. Two seconds, one second left – game over,” Payton said, per NBC Sports Bay Area.
Although Payton II took the blame for the Warriors’ heartbreaking loss, it didn’t stop head coach Steve Kerr from annihilating the officials during the postgame conference.
Despite the error in judgment from Payton II, Kerr firmly believes it was among many wrong decisions made by the refs during the game.
Regardless of who takes the blame, the reality is that the Warriors are now 14-10 for the season as they barely hold the fifth seed in the loaded Western Conference.
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