Steph Curry Pulls Chris Webber Timeout Blunder, Almost Costs Warriors Game 4
Steph #Steph
Steph pulls Webber TO blunder, almost costs Warriors Game 4 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The Warriors’ wild Game 4 win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday at Chase Center featured a moment reminiscent of one of the most talked about mistakes in college basketball history.
And, surprisingly, Golden State superstar Steph Curry committed the error that nearly cost the defending NBA champions the game.
With 42 seconds remaining in the Warriors’ eventual 126-125 victory, Curry called a timeout — except Golden State didn’t have any left. Curry received a technical foul with the Warriors up by just five points.
The blunder was similar to Chris Webber’s infamous 1993 NCAA championship moment known simply as “The Timeout,” in which the Michigan star attempted to call for a timeout while his team had none remaining, resulting in a technical foul that effectively clinched the game for North Carolina.
The Kings nearly made Curry and the Warriors pay for their mistake on Sunday, going on to score four points in the final seconds of Game 4 and pulling within one of the Warriors’ lead thanks in part to a 3-point jump shot by De’Aaron Fox with 28 seconds left.
But Golden State staved off Sacramento and emerged victorious to even the opening-round NBA playoff series at two games apiece, despite Curry’s mistake — which Warriors coach Steve Kerr took full responsibility for after the win.
“100 percent my fault,” Kerr told reporters. “I knew we didn’t have any timeouts left. We took the challenge, and when the challenge was unsuccessful, as we were exiting the huddle, that’s on me. I’ve got to remind the guys we’re out of timeouts.
“I didn’t say that, and so Steph wasn’t aware. That’s on me for not making that clear.”
Curry’s Game 4 performance certainly won’t be remembered by the mistake, however, as the reigning NBA Finals MVP poured in a team-high 32 points on 50-percent shooting from the field with five 3-pointers, five rebounds and four assists.
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The Warriors are no stranger to intense playoff contests, and Game 4 against the Kings was no different. And while it might have ended up being closer than it needed to be, Golden State’s championship DNA again propelled them to the finish line.