The Golden State Warriors bounced back from Saturday’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers with a 119-101 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night. While it wasn’t the team’s sharpest performance, they got the job done—despite some officiating drama in the third quarter.
Head coach Steve Kerr was hit with a technical foul after arguing with the referees over a missed traveling call on Hornets guard LaMelo Ball. After the game, Kerr didn’t hold back, reiterating his long-standing frustration with the lack of traveling violations called in the NBA.
Steve Kerr received a technical tonight for yelling at the officials for missing a travel. He talked at length postgame about the issue: “Footwork is the basis of the game. We need to call traveling. It’ll be a much better game if we clean it up.” pic.twitter.com/6uaVEh9nr2
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 4, 2025
Kerr has been vocal about this issue for nearly a decade. Back in 2016, he expressed similar frustrations during an interview on KNBR 680, criticizing officials for missing blatant travels despite fans and players noticing them in real-time.
“How is it that everybody on Earth can see these traveling violations except for the three people that we pay to do the job? I don’t get it. It’s bizarre,” Kerr said on KNBR 680. “It’s (traveling) a point of emphasis on one particular play and that’s when you catch and go … it’s just the one that the officials are taught to see.
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“The entire game is based on footwork,” Kerr said. “We need to enforce traveling violations and we are not doing it and I don’t understand why. … These [officials] are awesome. They do a great job, and they have a million things to watch, but footwork is the entire basis of the game and we need to call traveling. It will be a much better game if we clean it up.”
The entire season has carried a new sentimental value for Curry, matching Dell’s career of 16 years in the NBA. Dell was the blueprint for Steph, whose real goal growing up was to achieve the longevity of his father well before any realities of All-Star Games, MVPs and Olympic gold were even worth dreaming of.
“It gives me perspective of obviously how long I’ve been in the league,” Curry said. “This is my 16th year, which is a milestone for the family, knowing my dad played this many years. It was always a goal of mine to get here, so it’s kind of a cool reflection to be in your 16th year and playing in Charlotte playing against your brother and dad’s up in the booth.”
Steve Kerr said the Warriors have no plans to rest their veterans during this Charlotte, New York back-to-back the next two nights: “Steph’s in a great place right now.” pic.twitter.com/84W3Ev2MZE
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 3, 2025
12. Golden State Warriors (33-28)
Last ranking: 14
In the last week: W vs. CHA, W at ORL, L at PHI, W at CHA
Offensive rating: 113.3 (16th)
Defensive rating: 111.4 (eighth)
Biggest games left: March 10 vs. POR, March 13 vs. SAC, March 17 vs. DEN, March 30 at SA, April 13 vs. LAC
Jimmy Butler didn’t play in Philadelphia, denying the Warriors their opportunity to get back into the top six in the West. But the door was still open when they arrived in Charlotte on Monday night, and Butler’s return to the lineup ensured that the Warriors would reach the coveted sixth spot. Golden State has lost only one game with Butler, and it’s about to start a seven-game homestand this weekend.
Steph Curry rolled his right ankle tonight. Still hopes to play tomorrow at Knicks, but he was limping a little postgame: “I think I’m going to play but if my ankle says I shouldn’t play, I won’t play.” pic.twitter.com/2f4TtEoiH3
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 4, 2025
Prior to Monday’s game, Irving was averaging 39.3 minutes played over his past 10 games, a stretch that began right after the team dealt co-star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, the most minutes per game by any player in the NBA from Feb. 4 to March 2.
Irving averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists this season. He has a $43 million player option for the 2025-26 season, the final year of a three-year, $126 million deal he signed in 2023.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to outdo himself.
Seven weeks after setting a new career high of 54 points, six weeks after challenging that marker with 52 and five weeks after dropping 50, Gilgeous-Alexander nearly set a personal best once again.
The Oklahoma City Thunder superstar went for 51 points Monday during a 137-128 win over the Houston Rockets. OKC is now 50-11 on the season, the first team in the Western Conference to reach 50 victories — and it got there before any other West squad won 40.
While Steph Curry impacted this game more through his passing than his scoring (although 21 points is nothing to scoff at), it was on a specific three-point set — in which he paired up with Jimmy Butler on an off-ball screening action — that shined a light on the Charlotte Hornets’ coverages and dictated how they defended Curry the rest of the night.
Follow @unstoppablebaby on Twitter for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.
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