Steph Curry 's forgetfulness almost proved costly in the closing stages of the Golden State Warriors' NBA Playoff match with the Sacramento Kings.
In what proved to be a thrilling game at the Chase Center, the reigning NBA champions clung on to defeat a resolute Kings side 126-125. But Curry, who scored 32 points in the vital victory, put it in jeopardy after making a crucial error in judgement in the fourth quarter.
With 40 seconds remaining in the game, the star point guard had the ball but was left trapped with no space to escape or pass to a team-mate. Therefore he opted to call a timeout rather than commit a turnover, but the issue was Warriors did not have any remaining.
"I didn't realize when we lost the challenge that we didn't have any timeouts left," Curry explained post-game. "[Coach] took the blame for it, but I ain't going to lie: I thought it was the smartest play in the world. I looked at the bench, and everybody was shaking their head. It was an unfortunate situation."
Kerr was on his haunches in disbelief when he realised what the 35-year-old had done, and the Kings were able to score four points following the incident - a free throw after a technical foul and a clutch three-pointer from De'Aaron Fox. "There's no time to be angry or frustrated," Kerr said. "You just have to keep going, and our guys did that. We made some incredible stops down the stretch."
Following Fox’s important three point shot, the Kings’ deficit was reduced to just one point and when Curry missed a jump shot on the next play, the Kings had a chance to snatch victory. The goal for the defending champions was to ensure the inaugural NBA Clutch Player of the Year did not take the final shot.
They were successful as Harrison Barnes, a former Warriors player, took the last shot from three, but he missed and as the buzzer sounded, the Chase Center erupted with cheers. The Splash Brothers once again delivered for the Warriors as Curry finished with 32 points on 50% shooting, while Klay Thompson scored 26 points.
They made some important shots, especially in the third quarter and fourth quarters to keep the rampant Kings from building an unassailable lead. "It might not look like it, but I'm always looking for my shot," Curry said. "There's always going to be a double-team or a trap or a lot of attention. So me not shooting doesn't mean I'm being passive. It just means you're reading the defence to make the right play."
The Warriors welcomed back Draymond Green following his one-game suspension yesterday evening. Starting from the bench, he defended fantastically, especially on Fox who made just two of seven shots in the second half with the 33-year-old being his primary defender.
He contributed 12 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists and explained how they were able to keep the ball out of Fox’s hands in the game’s closing stages. "We know Fox can make a shot," Green said. "What I'm not doing is giving him an iso with anyone and just watching him work. ... Got to make someone else beat you. If he hit it, great shot. He didn't."
He added: “I always knew, as this series has gone, that's something that we had in our back pocket. If I'm being honest, I was very happy that we pulled out that card." The all-important game five at the Golden 1 Center will take place on Wednesday evening.
