Golden State Warriors fans have more of a concrete scapegoat to direct their anger towards after a stunning Game 1 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The referees missed a pivotal travel call late in the fourth quarter that would have given the Warriors possession with about 18 seconds to play in the game and the Thunder up 105-102.
While this play initially, in game, was not called a travel on Russell Westbrook, the NBA retroactively called it a travel in its “Two Minute Report,” which corrects or affirms all calls made by the referees for games within five points at the two minute mark of regulation. This report includes all overtime games.
No travel called…. https://t.co/mGFhDNmtHr
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) May 17, 2016
That would-be 18 seconds remaining on the clock would have given the Warriors plenty of time to draw up a cohesive play for any one of their sharp shooters — whether it would be Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, or Draymond Green — rather than settle for the hastily developed, 27-foot Steph Curry three-pointer that they were forced to take with 10 seconds to go, which clanked off the front of the rim.
With the aforementioned opportunity, the Warriors also could have settled for a quick drive to the rim, cut the score to 105-104, then forced the Thunder to make a smooth inbound pass and make their subsequent free-throws. Alas, the referees did not make the correct call, and the game was well out of reach after Curry missed his three-pointer.
Steve Kerr, despite his notable bouts with referees over the past two seasons — oftentimes during contentious calls in these playoffs — decided to show his more empathetic side for officials rather than admonishing them like many other coaches may do in the aftermath of such a crucial no-call. Kerr's sentiments on the “Two Minute Report” as a whole are located below.
Steve Kerr said he thinks the NBA releasing officiating corrections so quickly throws officials under the bus: pic.twitter.com/ynxDgHEZaQ
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) May 17, 2016
Could his comments be a ploy to gain some sympathy points from referees for the rest of the Western Conference Finals and, maybe, the Finals? Perhaps. Whatever Kerr's true motives are, it takes quite a bit of character to acknowledge that referees, as much as sports fans don't wish to acknowledge it, are human beings, too. Like you and I, they are bound to make mistakes.
Kerr says it best when he says: “They have an impossible job […] They're never going to be perfect. They're doing the best they can.”
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