Stephen Curry called it as he saw it. Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr was much calmer postgame.
But both Curry and Kerr were livid when the referees did not call a goaltending violation on Aaron Gordon’s block in the early moments of the fourth quarter, which came back to haunt them in the end.
“It was definitely goaltending,” Curry told reporters after the Warriors’ tough 108-105 loss to defending champion Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. “They missed it. Keep playing.”
Steph and Kerr were livid after goaltending was not called here
Had Gordon’s block been overturned, it would have changed the game’s complexion. Who knows what might have been? Maybe the Warriors would have not gone into the final 15 seconds pressured to tie the game.
Curry missed a floater with seven seconds left and the Nuggets wrapped it up with a Reggie Jackson split at the free throw line.
“The non-goaltend call, it hurts, but I’m used to it,” Kerr told reporters after the game. “It’s a difficult call to make. It happens, bang bang. It seems like last year four or five of those, it’s going to happen this year too. It’s part of it, plenty of calls both ways. That’s the way it goes.”
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope held Curry to 23 points, seven below his 30-point average. Despite Caldwell-Pope’s leech-like defense, Curry still hit six 3-pointers to pace the Warriors.
The Warriors fell to fourth place in the Western Conference with a 6-3 record. After playing seven of their last eight games on the road, and winning six of them, they are heading back home.
The Warriors will begin a seven-game homestand beginning on Saturday, November 11, against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Warriors Bench Continues to Flourish
Despite Curry’s sub-par game and the absence of Draymond Green (personal reasons) and Gary Payton II (illness), the Warriors went toe-to-toe against the defending champions.
Thanks to their bench, which outscored the Nuggets second unit, 42-12.
Chris Paul continued to lead the Warriors bench with nine points, five rebounds and four assists against only one turnover. Third-year players Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody chipped in 10 points apiece. Rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis also stepped up in Green’s absence with eight points and two rebounds.
Steve Kerr to Resign as Team USA Coach After Paris Olympics
Kerr looks at next summer’s Paris Olympics as his “Last Dance” more than a redemption tour after failing to pilot Team USA to the gold medal in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
“To me, it’s a two-year; it’s a cycle,” Kerr told The Athletic about his decision. “[Gregg Popovich] coached a World Cup and the Olympics, now it’s my turn to pass the baton. I think that’s kind of how it should be.”
“Frankly, it’s a huge commitment too. I guess I think it was different the last go-around with Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski) and Jerry (Colangelo) when they were really establishing this culture and this system where guys had to commit for a couple of years. Made sense for Coach K to stay on. But I think where we are now, one cycle and you move on.”
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Stephen Curry, Steve Kerr React to Missed Goaltending Call in Warriors’ Loss to Nuggets