The Golden State Warriors barely escaped the Portland Trail Blazers after a 118-114 victory on December 17th. The Warriors were up by one point with several seconds left when Steph Curry got pressured and lost the ball out of bounds. The referees gave possession to Golden State; however, a report shows that Curry was the last to touch the ball.
The Warriors caught a break with a pivotal late-game call
The NBA’s Last 2 Minute Report showed the out-of-the-bounds call on the Trail Blazers should have been overturned:
The play allowed Steph Curry to make a free throw that eventually sealed the Blazer’s fate. The Warriors veteran missed his second attempt at the line, which gave Portland a chance to score. Shaedon Sharpe ended up committing an offensive foul which crushed the team’s hope of winning.
Chauncy Billups said he would do things differently if given another chance. The head coach elected to use his final challenge earlier in the fourth quarter on an offensive foul call. The call was upheld, and when the play involving Steph Curry arrived, Portland could not challenge.
Nevertheless, Golden State was able to triumph despite shooting 68.4% on free throws on the night. Curry delivered a quiet seven points and eight assists. Meanwhile, Klay Thompson erupted for 28 points and four rebounds.
The Warriors need to execute on both sides of the ball to continue their progress towards getting above the .500 mark. Golden State has a tall task ahead of it on December 19th. The Dubs will face the Boston Celtics in an uphill cross-conference battle. Still, Golden State has a chance to come away with a win.