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Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors remains among the best players in the NBA.
The Golden State Warriors overcame three late wrong calls by referees in their 119-116 win over the Phoenix Suns on December 20. The Warriors snapped a three-game losing streak, led by Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Will Richard.
According to the NBA’s L2M report for the game, there were three mistakes made by the referees in the final two minutes. The first one happened with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter.
The Warriors were up 115-110 when Devin Booker quickly drove to the basket and was challenged at the rim by Trayce Jackson-Davis, who was called for a foul. However, it has now been ruled as an incorrect call because Jackson-Davis jumped vertically and did not make contact with Booker’s arm.
The last two mistakes happened within the last 10 seconds of the game, which could have cost Golden State the win. Booker wasn’t called for a foul on Curry’s made layup, which was an incorrect non-call. Curry should have been on the free-throw line and iced the game.
With 5.7 seconds left, the Suns had an opportunity to send the game to overtime with a 3-point shot. Collin Gillespie threw a bad pass to Royce O’Neale, and the ball crossed the half-court line. Booker went on to retrieve the ball, but he should have been called for a backcourt violation.
Luckily for the Warriors, the Suns were unable to make their last-second heave from beyond the arc.
Curry, Butler and Richard Key in Warriors’ Win
The Golden State Warriors would not have won the game without Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Will Richard. They were the three best players for Golden State in their 119-116 victory over the Suns.
Curry had 28 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, while Butler contributed 25 points and two assists. Richard played in his first game after getting three consecutive DNPs and showed Steve Kerr that he deserves to be in his rotation.
Richard finished with 20 points and five rebounds off the bench, going 6-for-7 from the field, including a perfect 4-for-4 from 3-point range. He was the one who stepped up for Golden State after Draymond Green was ejected early in the second quarter.
Golden State’s trade targets named
According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, the Golden State Warriors are going to be active in the trade market ahead of the February deadline. The Warriors have reportedly set their sights on adding an athletic center.
Haynes named three targets: Nic Claxton of the Brooklyn Nets, Daniel Gafford of the Dallas Mavericks and Robert Williams III of the Portland Trail Blazers.
The likely trade candidate for Golden State’s side of things is Jonathan Kuminga, who has been part of the rumor mill since the offseason. Kuminga is deemed one of the best trade assets in the NBA, as reported by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Kuminga isn’t eligible to get traded until January 15, though he has been linked to multiple teams like the Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns.
Juan Paolo David Juan Paolo David is a sports journalist covering basketball for Heavy. He has a decade of experience writing about the NBA and WWE. He’s currently based in the Philippines. More about Juan Paolo David
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