NBA Crew Chief Explains Steve Kerr's Ejection After Shouting Profanities over Goaltend
Steve Kerr's outburst over a missed goaltending call midway through the fourth quarter in the Golden State Warriors' 103-102 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday resulted in his first ejection of the season.
In the pool report after the game, crew chief Brian Forte explained that Kerr's ejection was the result of continued profanity use and having to be held back from going toward the officials by a Warriors assistant coach.
Kerr's fourth-quarter outburst was after Gary Payton II had a layup attempt that hit the backboard before Clippers forward John Collins deflected it.
Forte acknowledged the play should have been called a goaltend, but the officials missed it. It also wasn't eligible for review because the only way it could have been triggered is if the goaltend had been called and the Clippers challenged it since it didn't happen in the final two minutes of the quarter.
Kerr and other members of the Warriors were also frustrated a few moments before that situation with 8:44 remaining when Stephen Curry made a floater that was waved off after the ball went through the basket because the officials ruled he was fouled on the floor by Collins, taking two points away from Golden State.
"Usually refs, if it's a 50/50 call either way, you let it go to where the basket goes and then you just play on," Curry said about the call that took away his bucket, per The Athletic's Nick Friedell. "I've never seen it where it's a delayed call (and refs say) 'Oh, it was a foul. Oh, no basket.'"
Warriors assistant coach Terry Stotts, who filled in as head coach after Kerr's ejection, jokingly said after the game that he was conducting the postgame press conference because Kerr would probably end up getting fined if he spoke.
"I'm up here because I'm saving Steve some money," Stotts said.
Curry also fouled out of the game with 42 seconds remaining when he was fighting for a rebound. The Warriors were trailing 101-100 at the time.
Monday's loss dropped Golden State's record to 19-18 overall and eighth in the Western Conference. The Warriors entered the game with some positive momentum, having won three of their previous four games.
Kerr and the Warriors will look to rebound when they open up an eight-game homestand on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks.
