Terry Stotts comically saves Warriors coach Steve Kerr from fine after ejection originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Marshawn Lynch used to show up for press conferences so he wouldn’t get fined, and Warriors assistant Terry Stotts handled Monday’s postgame media availability to save coach Steve Kerr from a potential fine.
Stotts took the podium after a livid Kerr was ejected in the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ 103-102 loss to the LA Clippers at Intuit Dome.
“I’m up here because I’m saving Steve some money,” Stotts told reporters after the game. “So, that’s the only reason I’m here.”
Kerr was tossed from Monday’s game just over four minutes into the fourth quarter after arguing a missed goaltending call by the officiating crew.
Gary Payton II’s shot clearly hit the backboard before John Collins swatted it away, but the refs missed it, costing the Warriors two points, which proved to be pivotal in the outcome of the game.
But before the missed goaltending call, the Warriors were upset when a Steph Curry bucket was waved off because continuation wasn’t awarded following a Collins foul.
So, the blood was boiling for Kerr and the Warriors.
“What particularly?” Stotts said when asked what set Kerr off. “I think it’s that goaltending call that was missed. Well, there’s probably some other things, but that was the last straw, probably. I don’t want to speak for Steve.”
In real time, the Warriors were convinced the refs missed the call.
“I didn’t see a replay, but it sure seemed obvious at the time that it was a goaltend,” Stotts said.
Stotts said the Warriors didn’t receive an explanation from the officiating crew on what happened on the missed goaltending call.
But crew chief Brian Forte spoke to ClutchPoints’ Tomer Azarly for the Pool Report and explained why Kerr was ejected.
“For the first technical foul, Coach Kerr aggressively approached the official while shouting profanities,” Forte said. “After the first technical was called, he continued shouting profanities while being held back by his assistant coach. And led to the second technical foul.”
While teams usually have to wait until the NBA’s Last Two Minute Report is released the next day for the league to own up to missed calls, Forte admitted his crew got Monday’s call wrong.
“The shot by [Gary] Payton hit the backboard prior to being touched by Collins,” Forte said. “It should have been ruled a goaltending violation. The only way it could have been reviewed was if it was called on the floor and the Clippers challenged the call, because it did not occur in the last two minutes of the game.”
Despite the Warriors appearing to lose their cool in the fourth quarter, they made a late push and almost pulled out a remarkable win. Jimmy Butler’s fadeaway in the final seconds fell short, dropping Golden State to 19-18.
“There’s always going to be some frustration in a close game,” Stotts said. “The game, there’s going to be an ebb and flow of the game, but I thought for the most part, we kept our composure. You look at the stat sheet, we did a lot of good things. You look at how many turnovers we forced, we played our asses off. So I don’t know if frustration is the right word. When you’re not making some shots … I don’t think any frustration affected our game, let’s put it that way.”
Kerr, ejected for the first time this season, has earned four technical fouls in 37 games this year. It was the fifth disqualification of his coaching career.
Raphielle Johnson
