Jun 9, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr reacts during the third quarter of game three of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
The Warriors find themselves down 2-1 in the NBA Finals. Today, the Warriors have an opportunity to even this series in Game 4, but if they lose and fall into a 3-1 hole, they might not be able to climb back out.
-== Klay Thompson’s Top 5 Dunks Of His Career ==-
Losing Game 3 has given Cleveland all the momentum. The Warriors almost came back to steal the game after being down big in the second half, but a few questionable calls kept them from tying the game.
One call in particular has the Bay Area fuming. The Warriors were making their run when LeBron James slide tackled Steph Curry when he was at the top of the three point line and no foul was called. The NBA came out and said it was a correct non-call and Steve Kerr had some fun with it. According to GSW Fast Break, Kerr will begin to teach slide tackle and travel next season:
Kerr on LeBron no-call: “It was the right call. Slide tackling is perfectly legal. … So is traveling. We’re going to teach it next season”
— Fast Break (@GSWFastBreak) June 11, 2015
When your favorite team is losing, it’s only natural you blame the refs for the outcome of the game. In this case, Kerr is applying some Phil Jackson philosophies here in the NBA Finals. Jackson was known for manipulating the media in order to send a message and this is exactly what Kerr is doing.
Kerr made a joke out of it, but it’s definitely his way of applying pressure to the officials. The Warriors have not lost two games because of the officials, but it definitely does not help when your star player gets tackled in a crucial moment of the game.
Let’s hope the refs are better today.