Kerr ejected, Curry fouls out as calls rile Warriors

LOS ANGELES — Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr was ejected, and star guard Stephen Curry fouled out of the team’s 103-102 loss to the LA Clippers on Monday night.

Kerr’s two technicals came early in the fourth quarter after a string of officiating decisions upset him on the sideline.

The first call came with 8:44 left after Curry made a floater, but it was waved off just after the ball went through the basket. Officials ruled that Curry was fouled on the floor, erasing the two points.

“It’s usually play on [if it’s a made shot],” Curry said. “I’ve never seen it where it’s a delayed call and then ‘Oh, it’s a foul,’ and then, ‘Oh, no basket.'”

Curry lit into the referees, and Kerr started pacing on the sideline. Moments later, Gary Payton II had a layup blocked by John Collins, but replays showed Collins touched the ball after it hit the backboard, meaning it should have been a goaltend.

“It should have been ruled a goaltending violation,” crew chief Brian Forte said in a postgame pool report.

Collins’ block led to a Clippers fast break and Curry’s fifth foul of the game. Kerr was irate and stomped onto the court, needing to be restrained by assistant coaches as he yelled at all three officials.

Kerr was given two technicals and ejected. Warriors lead assistant Terry Stotts stepped in as the interim coach for the rest of the game and took questions from reporters postgame in Kerr’s place.

“I’m up here because I’m saving Steve some money,” Stotts said.

Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green said they appreciated Kerr’s emotional reaction, even though it cost the Warriors an extra point during a sequence in which four points were already stripped from them. Curry said he would’ve erupted at the officials if Kerr didn’t.

The team responded with a fourth-quarter rally, outscoring the Clippers by nine points after Kerr was ejected.

Curry hit two 3s in the final two minutes of the game, trimming the Clippers’ lead to one point and giving him 27 points. But Curry reached in on a defensive rebound attempt with 43 seconds left, committing a sixth foul, which he said was the correct call.

It was the first time Curry had fouled out of a game since 2021, leaving him on the sideline on the final offensive possession when the Warriors had a chance to win it. Butler missed a fadeaway jumper at the buzzer that would’ve won it.

The loss dropped the Warriors to 19-18, but they have won six of their previous nine games and return home for eight straight in San Francisco.