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Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry was not happy with the bizarre ending of their 128-121 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, March 16, at Crypto.com Arena in a pivotal Western Conference matchup.
A shot clock malfunction halted the game several times which dragged the final two minutes into 22 minutes.
“I’ve never seen that in my career really,” Curry told reporters. “Usually, [and] if something happens pregame, [NBA] have a backup clock or something. At the end of the day we put ourselves in a good position where we were coming out of that and really needed one stop. Obviously, a big win for us. I don’t know the last time we won in here against them, so a big deal.
[A long delay is] the worst thing that can happen, especially at this age. You build up all pregame to get going. As soon as the engine shuts off it’s hard to get it going again. It is what it is.”
Curry scored 31 points after his three-game absence due to a sprained right ankle as the Warriors held on to the win that allowed them to tie the Lakers for ninth place in the West with 16 games left in their regular season schedule.
The Warriors held a 124-117 lead when the first stoppage happened in the final 1:50 with a dual review on LeBron James‘ 3-pointer which was overruled and an out-of-bounds play that went the Lakers’ way.
Five more stoppages ensued with the shot clock malfunctioning. And when the game finally resumed, Curry picked James’ pocket leading to a Jonathan Kuminga dunk for a comfortable nine-point cushion.
Steph Curry’s ‘Amazing’ Return
Except for a slow start, Curry showed no ill effects of the ankle sprain as he shot 12 of 24 from the field while adding six rebounds and five assists.
“Steph is Steph. He’s just amazing,” coach Steve Kerr told reporters. “He got off to a slow start, but he never worries and we never worry. What he does is open the floor for everyone else.”
Curry shook off a rusty 0-2 shooting in the first quarter and hit 5 of 7 in the next frame as the Warriors held a 67-66 halftime lead. He had 13 points in the pivotal third quarter where Golden State wrested control. His six points sparked a 10-2 run that opened up the game for the Warriors, 91-79, with 3:21 left in the third quarter.
“I was excited just to be back. You understand the ramifications down the stretch. Every game, especially against teams jumbled right there in the play-in, matters,” Curry told reporters.
The Warriors will host the defensively-sound New York Knicks on Monday, March 18. The Knicks have held their last five opponents under 94 points.
Warriors Take Advantage of Anthony Davis’ Absence
The Warriors also benefited from Anthony Davis‘ absence in the final three quarters.
Warriors rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis inadvertently poked Davis’ eye late in the first quarter and the Lakers big man did not return.
Without Davis, Jonathan Kuminga had an open lane.
Kuminga scored 23 points, mostly on drives, while Klay Thompson added 26 off the bench for the Warriors.
The Warriors outrebounded the Lakers 45-39 and held an 8-point edge in points in the paint (62-54).
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