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After three days off, the Golden State Warriors played their first game without star Stephen Curry. The March 20 game against the 11th-place San Antonio Spurs was one the Warriors were supposed to win as they fight to reclaim the second seed in the Western Conference.
The Dubs overcame a 14-point first-quarter deficit but fell short after a last-second putback by Spurs forward Keldon Johnson helped San Antonio win 110-108.
Two foul calls made during the game’s waning seconds – one against the Spurs’ Devin Vassell with 3 seconds left and then a loose-ball foul against the Warriors’ Kevon Looney with 2.4 seconds left – did not sit right with coach Steve Kerr.
“The two fouls at the end were bizarre. … I was shocked,” Kerr told reporters after the game. “I don’t know how those calls can be made. To call fouls in that situation, both of them — one that went for us and one that went against us — I don’t understand. I don’t understand how we can decide the game based on plays that have nothing to do with the game. Players are supposed to decide the game.”
Should players decide the game? The two late-game fouls were whistled when it appeared the players certainly could have played on given that there was no egregious contact. For the most part, the referees had not been calling ticky-tack fouls. Had the referees been calling those fouls all game long, there might have been a stronger argument for the two fouls in the closing seconds.
Draymond Green Ejected Played a Role in Loss
In the third quarter, the Warriors’ Draymond Green was ejected after picking up two technical fouls for badgering an official. Green had fouled Vassell during a layup attempt but was unhappy with the call and would not let up on the official.
After the game, Kerr spoke about the ejection, continuing on the theme of how players should be allowed to play.
“He’s earned what he’s done in this league,” Kerr said, referring to Green. “Draymond knows how to walk that line. Once he gets that first one, he understands what it takes to get a second one.”
The Warriors did rally after Green was ejected, outscoring the Spurs 27-20 in the third quarter. Although the Dubs had great opportunities to win the game, Green’s absence played a key role in their coming up short.
Steve Kerr Wants Team to Show ‘Urgency’
As if losing the No. 2 playoff seed to the Memphis Grizzles wasn’t disheartening enough, the Utah Jazz have won their last three games and now only are two games behind the Warriors, who have the No. 3 seed. Seven of the Warriors’ last 11 games are against playoff-caliber teams. And without Curry, it won’t be smooth sailing for the Warriors as they finish up the regular season.
Kerr said the team needed to stay engaged and focused from the onset of games.
“We have to understand that we are undermanned, we have 11 games left, we’re looking at the playoffs,” he said after the game. “There’s got to be a sense of urgency. There’s got to be a sense of competitive fight that we take to the other team from the very beginning.”
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