Sometimes there is no room for debate about a crucial missed call, and Warriors coach Steve Kerr made it clear how he felt about an omitted eight-second violation in the final minute of Golden State's 120-112 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.
"I saw an eight-second violation," Kerr told reporters. "It was pretty obvious. So, very disappointing it wasn't called."
Steve Kerr and Draymond Green were irate after the referees missed an 8-second violation in the final minute of tonight's game 😬
— Warriors on NBC Sports Bay Area (@nbcswarriors.bsky.social) February 6, 2025 at 10:33 PM
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Draymond Green also clearly was displeased with the non-call, passionately pleading with the officials after Golden State wasn't awarded possession of the ball for the should-be turnover. At the time, the Warriors were down just six points with plenty of opportunity to make something happen.
While Kerr's frustration was evident, the Warriors coach emphatically stated the missed call was not to blame for Golden State's loss on Thursday.
"When you allow five home-run passes over the top with no defensive awareness for 10 points, you don't deserve to win," Kerr told reporters. "Loved our fight in the second half. Loved the way the guys competed. That's the way it's going to have to feel like the rest of the season. We got to bring that level of energy but we have to add the awareness and the feel of not giving up the easy stuff when it comes to transition, pick-six passes, fouling when they're in the bonus. They shot 36 free throws tonight. Too many plays that gave them easy points and that was the difference in the game."
Thursday's loss was the second in as many days for the Warriors, who fell below .500 while dropping to the Western Conference's No. 11 seed.
Golden State Warriors
Golden State's acquisition of six-time NBA All-Star forward Jimmy Butler could provide a much-needed spark for the Warriors, who face mounting pressure to make a run at playoff contention.
While the Warriors have plenty of their own issues to figure out, being on the wrong side of pivotal calls in close games is enough to frustrate even the most seasoned NBA coaches and players, and Thursday's occurence was no exception.
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