Despite Steve Kerr’s objections, NBA says foul call in final seconds of Warriors’ loss to Rockets was correct

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was furious about a foul call made in the final 3.5 seconds of Wednesday’s 91-90 defeat to the Houston Rockets that turned out to be the difference in the outcome.

However, the NBA says that the correct call was made.

With the Warriors holding a 90-89 lead, Stephen Curry missed a 3-pointer and Gary Payton II got the rebound in a loose ball scramble on the floor with 7.5 seconds remaining. Payton attempted a pass to Jonathan Kuminga, but Houston’s Jalen Green dove for the ball. Kuminga was then called for a foul while trying to recover the turnover with 3.5 seconds left.

The Rockets were in the bonus, so Green was given two free throws. The fourth-year star made both, giving Houston a 91-90 lead and eventual win.

Kerr was outraged by the call during the game and had plenty to say about it afterward.

“A loose ball situation, 80 feet from the basket, with the game on the line,” he said to reporters. “I’ve never seen that. Think I saw it in college one time, 30 years ago. Never seen it in the NBA. That is unconscionable. I don’t even understand what just happened.”

Kerr went on to say that the game was “taken from us by a call I don’t think an elementary school referee would have made.”

Yet crew chief Bill Kennedy said the correct call was made, telling the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen, “The defender makes contact with the neck and shoulder area, warranting a personal foul to be called.”

In the NBA’s Last 2-Minute Report released on Thursday, the league agreed with the call, saying “Kuminga (GSW) reaches over Green (HOU) in an attempt to get to the ball and pulls his shoulder down.”

Additionally, the 2-Minute Report said Houston’s Fred VanVleet was correctly not called for a foul when he collided with Payton while going for the loose ball, saying “VanVleet (HOU) makes clean contact with the ball as Payton II (GSW) makes the pass.”

The Last 2-Minute Report did acknowledge two missed calls in the final two minutes. The Rockets’ Dillon Brooks should have been called for a defensive 3-second violation with 1:41 remaining in the game. And with 3.5 seconds left, the Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski was not called for a 5-second violation before inbounding the ball for Golden State’s final shot attempt.

That report is surely no consolation to Kerr. Nor will the fine he’ll likely receive for publicly criticizing officials after the game.