Kerr’s Ejection, Missed Calls and Cold Shooting Sink Warriors in One-Point Loss

Steve Kerr never made it to the postgame podium Monday night, and assistant coach Terry Stotts wasted no time explaining why. Standing in for the ejected head coach, Stotts joked that he was there “saving Steve some money,” a reference to the fines that often follow heated outbursts directed at NBA officials.

Kerr’s night ended with 7:57 remaining in the fourth quarter, moments after officials missed what appeared to be a clear goaltending violation on a Gary Payton II layup that was swatted by Clippers forward John Collins. Kerr erupted at crew chief Brian Forte and had to be restrained by Payton and Stotts before being hit with two quick technical fouls.

“There were probably some other things, but that was probably the last straw,” Stotts said, hinting that frustration had been building long before the missed call.

That sense of momentum slipping away only intensified on the Warriors’ next possession, when Stephen Curry was denied a continuation on a driving floater that rolled in after contact. Instead of an and-one opportunity, the basket was waved off, setting the stage for a chaotic finish to a game Golden State lost by a single point.

1. Officiating Boils Over

The missed goaltending immediately drew the ire of Kerr and the Warriors bench. Replays showed Payton’s shot hitting the glass before Collins made contact, which should have resulted in an automatic two points. Instead, play continued, and Golden State never got the call back. Stotts described the sequence as the breaking point for Kerr, who had already been upset by several earlier rulings. While ejections are rare for the veteran coach, the moment reflected how tightly wound the game had become. Curry was equally baffled by the non-continuation ruling on his floater. “Usually, if it’s a 50/50 call either way, you let it go to where the basket goes,” he said. “I’ve never seen it where it’s a delayed call.” In a contest that swung wildly in the final minutes, the Warriors estimated the two plays alone cost them five points — a massive margin in a 103–102 defeat.

2. Shooting Woes Tell the Deeper Story

Yet even as Golden State stewed over the officiating, the stat sheet revealed a more persistent problem. Outside of Curry and Jimmy Butler, the Warriors simply could not buy a basket, finishing 10-of-41 from three-point range. The cold shooting overshadowed some otherwise impressive work. Golden State forced 20 turnovers while committing just seven of its own, a disparity that typically produces a comfortable win. Instead, missed open looks and rushed attempts kept the Clippers within reach all night. “I thought we played well. We couldn’t hit shots,” Draymond Green said. “In a game where you force 20 turnovers and only have seven, we probably should have 130 or 140 [points].” Green finished with 12 points and a team-best plus-15 despite dealing with both a rib contusion and a tweaked ankle, underscoring how much Golden State did right in areas that rarely grab headlines.

3. Officials Explain the Decisions

After the game, crew chief Brian Forte addressed the controversy in a pool report, confirming that Collins’ block should have been ruled a goaltend. However, Forte explained that because the play occurred outside the final two minutes and was not called on the floor, it was not reviewable. “The shot by Payton hit the backboard prior to being touched by Collins,” Forte said. “It should have been ruled a goaltending violation.” As for Curry’s wiped-away floater, Forte maintained that the ruling was correct, stating that Curry was grabbed around the hip by Collins before gathering the ball, which made it a non-shooting foul. Forte also said Kerr directed “profanities” toward the officiating crew, leading to the two technicals and ejection — a detail that did little to soften the Warriors’ frustration.