Despite scoring just 37 points in a rough first-half, the Golden State Warriors looked primed to make their first NBA Cup semifinal appearance when they led the Houston Rockets by six with just over a minute remaining at Toyota Center on Wednesday night.
That was until another late-game meltdown from the Warriors who didn't score over the final three minutes of the game. Their offense down the stretch included multiple 24-second violations, but their eventual 91-90 defeat certainly wasn't aided by one hugely controversial refereeing decision.
The Warriors were eliminated from the NBA Cup on Wednesday
Rockets guard Fred VanVleet drilled a 3-pointer with 76 seconds remaining to cut the Warrior lead to three, before Draymond Green threw an errant pass to a diving Jonathan Kuminga in what was one of Golden State's 15 turnovers.
The Warriors were unable to secure a rebound from a missed three by Jabari Smith Jr., allowing Alperun Sengun to convert an easy layup with 27 seconds to play following a Rockets timeout.
Stephen Curry left time on the clock as his 3-pointer went awry, but Gary Payton II looked to secure the offensive rebound before throwing the ball away while laying on the court. Following a mad scramble, Jonathan Kuminga was called for a foul on Jalen Green as the young guard calmly nailed two free throws with his team in the bonus.
A 7-0 run all of a sudden had Houston on top, and that's how things stayed as Smith blocked Brandin Podziemski's 3-point attempt in a poor final Warrior possession. As disappointing as that was, the foul call on Kuminga was the talking point in a refereeing decision that enraged many and not just Golden State fans.
HOUSTON HAS THE LEAD AFTER THIS WILD SEQUENCE 😱 pic.twitter.com/vg6xPLZUBx
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 12, 2024
Many believed it should have been a jump-ball, with Steve Kerr's stunned reaction on the sidelines saying it all. The Golden State head coach labelled it an “unconscionable” decision after the game, while also criticizing other decisions including a non-call on a Curry jump-shot in the fourth-quarter.
The defense of both teams controlled the game, with the Warriors limited to just 26 points through the first nearly 20 minutes of the game. The visitors started to pick things up late in the first-half, then furthered their momentum with a 32-24 third-quarter that had them ahead by one entering the fourth.
While the officiating certainly didn't help matters, Golden State would be disappointed that they let it come to that point as their offense again struggled to execute. Kuminga had 20 points and seven rebounds but shot just 8-of-20 from the floor, while the 22-year-old also crucially missed four of his six free throws.
Curry had 19 points on 17 shots, while 12 of Buddy Hield's 15 points came during a third-quarter onslaught. No other Warrior hit double figures, with the team undoubtedly missing Andrew Wiggins as they shot 44% from the floor and 31.6% from 3-point range.
Draymond Green's defense was again excellent in important moments, with the Rockets shooting 45.6% from the floor and going just 6-of-27 (22.2%) from beyond the arc. Sengun finished with 26 points, 11 rebounds and five assists for Houston as they finally broke a 15-game losing streak against Golden State.
Instead of heading to Las Vegas, the Warriors will now return home to once again host Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks at Chase Center on Sunday.