Kerr calls out NBA rule after Wiggins foul in Warriors-Thunder originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Steve Kerr always has a good reason when he directs his press-conference ire towards an entity or situation, and on Saturday night, an NBA rule took the brunt of his anger.
Shortly after the Warriors fell 130-123 in overtime to the Oklahoma City Thunder for their sixth consecutive loss, Kerr took exception to a foul called on Andrew Wiggins with just under 90 seconds left in regulation, and the subsequent replay review that upheld the call.
Asked about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 40-point performance, Kerr praised the Thunder’s All-Star guard, but then called out the NBA’s “legal guarding position” rule.
“That’s Shai. He’s one-on-one at the top of the key,” Kerr told reporters. “He’s really tough, and they got shooters everywhere. So, you try to throw a few different things at him. But he made tough shots. I was disappointed we didn’t get the challenge. I thought, from the replay, it looked like Wiggs was in position, went up and he swiped down, but he didn’t hit him.
“But they said it was a block, that the NBA has this ‘legal guarding position’ thing they talk about, and we’re the only league in the world where, if you’re sliding your feet and you’re moving a little bit and the guy bumps into you, we call a blocking foul because it’s legal guarding position. So, I was disappointed on that play, but it’s the way it goes.”
With 1:26 remaining in the fourth quarter, Andrew Wiggins was called for a blocking foul, which was upheld after replay review …
Right call? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/EzfDGJ2INu
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 19, 2023
At the time of Wiggins’ foul on Gilgeous-Alexander, the Warriors had a two-point lead. But SGA made both free throws to tie the game.
The Warriors still had a chance to win the game in regulation after Wiggins drained a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1.6 seconds remaining, but Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren sent the contest to overtime with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer over the outstretched arms of Wiggins.
Oklahoma City outscored Golden State 13-6 in overtime, dropping the Warriors to 6-8 overall and 1-5 at home this season.
There’s no way to know how the game might have played out if the foul on Wiggins had been overturned, but the Warriors would have had possession of the ball up two approaching one minute to play.
Instead, the Warriors are left to lick their wounds and try to regroup ahead of their game against the Houston Rockets on Monday at Chase Center.
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