A questionable call late in Wednesday’s Houston Rockets-Golden State Warriors game helped decide which team advanced to the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas.
The Warriors led the Rockets 90-89 with under 30 seconds remaining in their single-elimination NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Curry missed a three-pointer from the top of the key with about 11 seconds left that would have iced the game.
Golden State was still in great shape when Gary Payton II dove on the floor to snag an offensive rebound. But instead of holding onto the ball and trying to call a timeout, Payton attempted to pass to a teammate. The ball ended up in Rockets guard Jalen Green’s hands with about five seconds left. Panic ensued as Warriors players swarmed Green to try to force a jump ball before Green could call a timeout.
The frantic finish had an anticlimactic ending as Referee Bill Kennedy called a loose ball foul on Jonathan Kuminga with the Warriors in the penalty. Watch the wild sequence below.
HOUSTON HAS THE LEAD AFTER THIS WILD SEQUENCE 😱 pic.twitter.com/vg6xPLZUBx
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 12, 2024
Warriors coach Steve Kerr’s face after the call was made said it all.
I think Steve Kerr just provided us with a new meme 😭pic.twitter.com/BzKwMD0j6M
— Kyrie Center (@kyriecenterig) December 12, 2024
Green went to the line and made both free throws to push the Rockets ahead 91-90. Jabari Smith Jr. punched Houston’s ticket to Las Vegas with a game-ending block on Brandin Podziemski after Steph Curry was forced to give up the ball in the closing seconds.
Jabari Smith Jr. ICES it for the Rockets 🧊🧊
Houston is going to Vegas for the #EmiratesNBACup Semifinals 🏆 pic.twitter.com/m25HrLe9JO
— NBA (@NBA) December 12, 2024
Kerr was not happy about the call after the game. The Warriors coach lamented the fact that a contest with such stakes was decided by a polarizing call. Kerr went on a two-minute rant against the call, which he described as “unconscionable.”
Steve Kerr goes in on the refs for almost 2 minutes pic.twitter.com/0JNlM2oTdz
— Alex 👋 (@Dubs408) December 12, 2024
Kerr went viral on social media before the game for comparing the Rockets’ bright-red court to the “depths of hell.” That ended up being a sign of things to come for the Warriors.
