Warriors coach Kerr explains controversial decision in final 10 seconds of Game 4
The Warriors and Rockets are tied at two games apiece in the Western Conference Finals, but if not for a controversial decision in the final seconds of Game 4 on Tuesday, Golden State might have taken a 3-1 series lead.
Down 94-92 with about 10 seconds left in the game, the Warriors had the ball and opted to push it up the floor rather than call a timeout and inbound the ball on the Rockets’ side of the court.
With just over six seconds remaining, Kevin Durant passed the ball into the corner to Klay Thompson, who was trapped with nowhere to go.
As time winded down, the Warriors still had an opportunity to take a timeout and reset. Instead, Thompson put up a contested jumper that wasn’t close.
KLAY WTF WAS THAT? pic.twitter.com/FmLfd51GJx
— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) May 23, 2018
The Rockets’ Chris Paul grabbed the rebound and was immediately fouled with 0.5 seconds to go. After he made one of two free throws, the Warriors actually had another chance to tie the game with a three-pointer.
This time, Steph Curry was off the mark.
omg steph curry got a great look… and missed game 5 series tied 2 – 2! pic.twitter.com/B1FDwTwi7w
— isaac (@NOTISAACCAMPOS) May 23, 2018
In the end, the Warriors lost 95-92, squandering a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in the process. Though they had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer, their real opportunity came seconds before, when Kerr failed to call a timeout that might have given his team the opportunity to reset.
After the game, he explained his reasoning. He said when it became clear Thompson would not be able to get a good shot off, he wanted a timeout, but at that point, it was too late.
“Well, I wanted the timeout,” Kerr said, per ESPN. “Draymond (Green) was trying to call one around four seconds, once he got trapped. And at that point the officials weren’t looking, and they’re not going to look down at our bench. So I saw Draymond trying to call it and I was hoping they’d give it to us, but we didn’t get it.”
Still, he defended his choice to have the Warriors push the ball up the court in the first place instead of call a timeout as soon as they got possession.
Full Steve Kerr explanation on the no timeout late (vid via @gifdsports) pic.twitter.com/RccPnCurxU
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 23, 2018
“I’m always a proponent of pushing the ball off of a miss rather than taking a timeout, letting the defense get set up. So, I thought we’d get a better shot in transition. That’s why I let them play,” Kerr said.
Curry, meanwhile, said he also heard Green calling for a timeout in the final seconds of regulation.
“I heard Draymond yelling for a timeout. Klay thought he could get a shot off. It’s basketball. So many bang, bang plays,” Curry said.
Steph Curry on the late possession: "I heard Draymond yelling for a timeout. Klay thought he could get a shot off. It's basketball. So many bang, bang plays."
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 23, 2018
Of course, had Durant not passed it to Thompson, the Warriors might have been able to get a better shot off. Durant, for his part, admitted that perhaps he should have waited until Thompson “set his feet” before passing the ball to him.
“I raced it down. I was trying to see if I had some options. I saw Klay running along the baseline and maybe should have waited until he set his feet, but I just threw a bounce pass and tried to relocate for it,” Durant said. “But, man, that’s not the reason we lost the game. I wish it could have been a better possession at the end, but, you know, we’ve got to live with that and move on and be better next game.”
If the Warriors want to win the series, they are going to have to focus on playing better over sustained periods of time, Durant noted.
“It’s the whole game that we’ve got to get better at, especially in the fourth,” he explained. “I think going up 10 going into the fourth, it was a good opportunity for us to kind of take control, and we didn’t. So I definitely wish I had that last play back. So I’m going to watch film and see what my options were and just hopefully if I’m in that position again I’ll be better.”
Houston will host Game 5 of the series on Thursday.
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