Steve Kerr wasn’t interested in hiding his frustration with the officiating after the Golden State Warriors squandered a 12-point fourth-quarter lead against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Warriors coach accused Memphis players of repeatedly flopping to draw illegal-screen calls during Friday’s 111-108 loss at Chase Center.
Golden State committed 19 turnovers, and Kerr estimated that roughly six resulted from illegal screens.
“We probably had six illegal screens tonight,” Kerr said during his postgame news conference. “The flopping that was happening on every single one was, you know, it looked like guys were going down like they’d been hit by a car or something.”
Kerr’s frustration boiled over after a controversial call against Draymond Green in the closing seconds.
Steve Kerr Questions Draymond Green’s Illegal Screen
The Warriors appeared headed toward their first victory after De’Anthony Melton’s 3-pointer gave them a 106-94 lead with 3:47 remaining.
Instead, Memphis scored 17 unanswered points.
Rookie Cameron Boozer put the Grizzlies ahead 108-106 with a basket in the final 20 seconds.
Golden State still had an opportunity to tie or regain the lead.
However, officials whistled Green for an illegal screen as Stephen Curry tried to create space on the ensuing possession.
Curry’s shot went in, but the basket didn’t count because the whistle had already stopped play.
Kerr erupted on the sideline and received a technical foul.
Asked whether Green’s screen was illegal, Kerr didn’t hesitate.
“I thought it was legal,” Kerr said. “It was shocking to see that called.”
He then returned to his criticism of Memphis.
“Every time somebody ran into a screen, they just went down and the refs bought into it,” Kerr said.
The coach’s comments reflect his interpretation of the contact. The calls themselves remain official rulings.
Warriors’ Turnovers Helped Fuel Grizzlies Comeback
Kerr acknowledged that the officiating wasn’t the only reason Golden State lost.
The Warriors missed their final nine field-goal attempts, allowing Memphis to complete its remarkable comeback.
Former Warriors guard Ty Jerome scored 28 points for the Grizzlies. Meanwhile, Boozer added 25 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.
Kerr credited Memphis center Zach Edey for making life difficult on Golden State’s offense.
He also pointed to a loose ball that bounced toward Jerome for a critical late 3-pointer.
“I think like eight different things had to happen,” Kerr said. “Any one of those eight doesn’t happen, I think we win the game.”
Still, the repeated offensive fouls troubled him.
“All those illegal screens really hurt us,” Kerr said.
Kerr Refuses to Blame Officials for Warriors’ Loss
Despite his complaints, Kerr stopped short of arguing that Golden State deserved the victory.
The Warriors had several opportunities to protect their lead but failed to capitalize.
“We didn’t deserve to win the game because we didn’t make the plays that we needed to at the end,” Kerr said.
Curry finished with 24 points, while Brandin Podziemski and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg scored 18 apiece.
The defeat dropped Golden State to 0-2 following Wednesday’s blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Now, the Warriors face another challenge Saturday against the Phoenix Suns.
Curry indicated he probably won’t play on the second night of the back-to-back, while Podziemski expects to sit because of recurring back soreness.
For Kerr, however, Friday’s disappointment wasn’t simply about one disputed whistle.
His players competed well enough to build a commanding lead. They just couldn’t finish the job.
Steve Kerr Makes Stunning ‘Hit by a Car’ Claim After Warriors Loss to Grizzlies