Warriors coach Kerr: Game four was out of hand
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said game four got out of hand against defending champions the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers stayed alive in the NBA Finals with a 137-116 victory in game four on Friday, which cut Golden State's series lead to 3-1.
While LeBron James scored 31 points and Kyrie Irving added a game-high 40, the discussion after the game was not about Cleveland's multiple scoring records, but how the officials stole the spotlight.
The referees at Quicken Loans Arena failed to maintain any control over the game and halted any flow the clash could have had with multiple reviews and questionable technical fouls that led to confusion and more delays.
"It was an incredibly physical game — a ton of fouls called early. A lot of holding and grabbing and pushing and shoving and it just got out of hand," said Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who was assessed a technical foul in the first half that most thought was given to Draymond Green.
"It seemed like in the third quarter, the game was stopping every time."
Kerr said the Cavaliers played with a physicality his team failed to match.
Green was given a weak technical foul in the second half and thought he had been ejected before the officials corrected the mistake on the first-half technical at the scorers' table.
"I'm pretty sure Draymond won't get suspended for game five," Kerr quipped. "Maybe he will. I don't know."
Friday's game had seven technical fouls and several reviews that resulted in a game that took over three hours to complete.
Despite several bad calls, Kerr did not blame the loss on the officiating — saying the Cavaliers started hot and "handed it to them" with a tremendous game.
While the officiating was often one-sided in the Cavaliers favour, the Warriors did get their share of beneficial questionable calls.
Cavs coach Tyronn Lue was asked about the inconsistent officiating, but couldn't take the bait following a win.
"I hate to complain," Lue said, "I know officiating is tough."