The Big Lead

Steve Kerr goes on epic rant about officiating

By Max Weisman

Kerr couldn't believe the calls made by referees at the very end of the game
Kerr couldn't believe the calls made by referees at the very end of the game / John Hefti-Imagn Images
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The Houston Rockets advanced to the semifinals of the NBA Cup Wednesday night, knocking off the Golden State Warriors 91-90 thanks to some last-second free throws. If you ask Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, though, those free throws should have never been awarded.

Following the game, Kerr lambasted the officiating down the stretch, saying one of the calls wouldn't have even been made by an "elementary school referee."

After an Alpern Sengün layup cut the Warriors lead to one, Stephen Curry missed a three-pointer, but Gary Payton II secured an offensive rebound while on the floor. Instead of calling a timeout, Payton tried to pass the ball out of harm's way, which led to a fight for the ball between Rockets guard Jalen Green and Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga. Instead of calling for a jump ball, the referee called a foul on Kuminga, prompting the rant from Kerr.

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“A loose ball situation, 80 feet from the basket, with the game on the line. I've never seen that. Think I saw it in college one time, 30 years ago. Never seen it in the NBA," Kerr said following the game. "That is unconscionable. I don't even understand what just happened. Loose ball, diving on the floor, 8- feet from the basket and you're going to give a guy two free throws to decide the game. Give them a timeout and let the players decide the game."

"Our guys deserved to win that game or at least have a chance for one stop at the end to finish the game and that was taken from us by a call I don't think an elementary school referee would have made," Kerr added. "Because that guy would have had feel and said 'You know what, I'm not going to decide a game on a loose ball 80 feet from the basket.'"

Hoo, boy. Expect Kerr to be fined heavily for these comments.

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