This only serves to add further insult to the Warriors’ injury.
As if the Golden State Warriors’ 119-115 loss to the Denver Nuggets wasn’t already heartbreaking enough, head coach Steve Kerr felt hard done by the fact that the officials missed an obvious call for a timeout from Christian Braun when the Nuggets no longer had any. In a four-point game, that could have given the Warriors a chance to rescue the game, as they would have received a technical free throw and the possession if the referees punished Braun’s infraction.
Alas, the Nuggets got away with a timeout blunder that would have mirrored that of Erik Spoelstra’s earlier this season — sending the Warriors deeper into their spiral with their fifth defeat in a row. Just to add further insult to Kerr and the Dubs’ injury, the officials basically conceded in their pool report following the game that they were not able to catch wind of Braun’s timeout gesture.
“Christian Braun never fully or clearly signaled for a timeout, therefore a timeout was not recognized,” referee crew chief Tyler Ford said in the Pool Report, via NBA.com. “The crew would have the ability to conference and discuss if anyone saw a signal, but no one clearly saw a signal given.”
Upon closer look, it was clear that Braun made the classic timeout gesture, even for a brief moment, after landing on the ground in the aftermath of his impressive defensive rebound that essentially sealed the game in the Nuggets’ favor. But perhaps in real time, it was harder for the officials to judge — even though Ford himself was the official nearest to the action.
It was perhaps a moment of instinct for the Nuggets guard to signal for a timeout, and the Warriors, rightfully so, are infuriated by the lack of punishment for this blunder.
Nuggets nearly throw the game away with careless timeout mistake
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Christian Braun can deny it all he wants, but he did gesture for a timeout even if it was for a split second. That would have been disastrous, as a four-point lead would not have been safe had the Nuggets been actually given the timeout he requested despite not having any remaining.
For the Warriors, this loss will provide another lesson in closing games out; it’s their third loss of the past five games in which they’ve let a late-game lead slip away from their fingertips. And now, they have fallen to 12-8 on the season — a disappointment given how strong their start to the season was.
