If the shocking loss to the basement-dwelling Orlando Magic wasn’t already difficult enough for the Golden State Warriors, the NBA has thrown a bit of salt on their wounds.
The league admitted a series of critical missed calls in the final minutes of Golden State’s 94-90 loss on March 22, contributing to what was one of the worst losses for the Warriors this season. The game was part of a skid that has seen the Warriors lose some standing in the playoff race, nearly eliminating any remaining hope of clinching the top seed and loosening their hold onto third place.
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League Admits Miscues
In the game’s Last Two Minute Report, the NBA pointed out four missed calls in the final two minutes of Tuesday’s game, three of which went against the Warriors. That included a foul against Miami’s Wendell Carter when Draymond Green gained possession of a jump ball. The league admitted that Carter hit Green’s arm, knocking the ball loose, but no call was made and the Warriors were not able to gain possession.
As NBC Sports Bay Area noted, the second missed call was not so clear-cut.
“After the jump ball, the 24-second shot clock reset when it shouldn’t have. It was eventually reset to 10 seconds, when it should have been a 24-second shot clock violation,” the report noted.
“However, if the foul against Draymond was correctly called, the Warriors would have immediately gained possession and there would have never been a shot clock debacle to begin with.”
The next two missed calls were much more costly to the Warriors, the first being a missed travel call on the Heat’s Cole Anthony. Miami got a three-pointer from Mo Bamba on the improperly extended possession, giving them a 1-point lead with 52.1 seconds remaining. The next possession, Jordan Poole was knocked to the ground while attempting a layup, but no foul was called.
Warriors Share Plenty of Blame
While the missed calls may have contributed to the shocking loss, the Warriors were quick to point the finger at their own lackluster play. Coach Steve Kerr said plenty of the blame belonged with the players, who weren’t doing enough to win. The loss was the team’s 12th in 18 games, and allowed the Phoenix Suns to move within one win of clinching first place in the Western Conference.
“There’s gotta be a level of discipline, of accountability, of competitive desire,” Kerr said. “And I know these are great guys. I love these guys in the locker room — awesome guys. I know they want to win, but we have to learn how to win. And right now, we don’t know how to win.”
Green also sounded off on the Warriors, saying the team was playing too “soft.”
– Draymond after tonight’s loss
(via @anthonyVslater)
The team seemed to get the message. Just a day after losing to the worst team in the Eastern Conference, a shorthanded Warriors squad went into Miami and beat the conference-leading Heat. Though Steph Curry remains out with a foot injury, Poole took on the role of hot-shooting guard, scoring 30 points while connecting on 7 of his 13 three-point attempts. He added nine assists and four rebounds.
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NBA Admits Critical Missed Calls in Shocking Loss for Warriors