The Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder served up a classic on Friday night, with a touch of controversy at the end. With the scores tied at 139, Stephen Curry hit what appeared to be the game-winner, but Draymond Green would be called for a goaltend, only for the call to then get overturned, which meant the Warriors won 141-139.
Draymond was called for a goaltend on Steph's potential game-winner 😳
It was overturned after review. pic.twitter.com/QSALmjsei7
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 4, 2023
The referee explained that Green’s touch did not affect the play so the call was overturned. It spared Green’s blushes, as he would have been quite embarrassed had that incredible clutch shot from Curry not counted because of him.
It capped off a stunning night for the two-time MVP, who ended the contest with 30 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals. Green, meanwhile, had 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block, but all everyone would talk about would be this call.
NBA Fans Were Baffled By The Call Being Overturned
Anytime you get a decision like this at the end of the game, there’s bound to be strong reactions from NBA fans. Many were baffled by how this goaltend was overturned by the referees.
One claims even the commentators were baffled by it.
Nawhh ain't no way the refs overturned this
Even the commentators are baffled 😭 https://t.co/ozGpkSNV6T
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) November 4, 2023
NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor says it should have been a goaltend.
It should've been a goaltend https://t.co/t6qkKMEBiS
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnor) November 4, 2023
A fan tried to explain why Josh Giddey touching the net isn’t a goaltend based on the rules.
It's possible the reasoning behind the call being overturned is Giddey touching the net, but my understanding is that the contact with the net would have to disrupt the ball or rim and either prevent the ball from going in or alter its path, neither of which happened. pic.twitter.com/RMNYec6L3D
— Alex (@AlexHoops_) November 4, 2023
One fan still isn’t sure how this got overturned.
Idk how this offensive goaltend got overturned https://t.co/hvHcNgVjP2
— Jeff Johnson (@JeffJSays) November 4, 2023
Another fan says the Thunder got hosed.
So you can hit the rim while the ball is within the cylinder and it's not a goaltend? Since when? Thunder got absolutely hosed. NBA officiating strikes again.
— Dr. Rajpal Brar, DPT (@3cbPerformance) November 4, 2023
This is really an interesting call from the officials. By their explanation, they didn’t consider that Giddey was goaltending, so that wasn’t why this was overturned.
For them, Green touching the rim was not considered to be interfering with the play either, and I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen that before. The Thunder do have a right to feel hard done by if that is the case.
The Warriors Are On A Roll
Whatever the case may be, the result is not going to change now and the Warriors improve to 5-1 on the season with it and also now have a 1-0 record in the In-Season Tournament.
There were some question marks surrounding this team after they acquired Chris Paul, but they’re really clicking as of now. Perhaps the most significant part of this great start is the road record.
The Warriors were a dismal 11-30 on the road in the 2022-23 campaign, but with this win over the Thunder, they are now 4-0 on their travels this season. It is quite the turnaround and you struggle to place your finger on what has led to it.
Has Poole’s departure really made things that much better in the locker room where their road record has improved drastically? Maybe it has helped Green be the vocal leader that he is and he has helped drive this team to succeed on their travels.
The road trip isn’t ending just yet for the Warriors with this contest. Their next three games are on the road, with the next trip being to Cleveland for the game on Sunday. Their next tournament game is a while away, though, as it will be at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 14.
As for the Thunder, they can take some solace from the fact that they nearly beat the Warriors without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who missed the game with a knee issue.
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