NBA says Domas hitting Steph in face wasn't a foul, explains why...

NBA says Domas hitting Steph in face wasn’t a foul, explains why

The Warriors’ 134-133 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Thursday at Chase Center was largely caused by a contentious non-call.

Steph Curry and Kings center Domantas Sabonis were fighting for a rebound off Kings player Kevin Huerter’s missed 3-point shot

beneath the hoop with 26 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the Warriors holding a 133-132 lead.

Sabonis hit Curry in the face as he was setting up for the rebound, sending the top player for the Warriors to the ground,

but there was no penalty call by the referees.

The NBA verified the officials’ ruling on Friday, with the Last Two Minute Report stating that a non-call was the appropriate

conclusion to the contentious play.

“After making an attempt to grab the lost ball, Sabonis follows through, making contact with Curry’s head or face. As long as it’s not

excessive or uncontrollable, contact to an opponent’s head or face during a normal basketball move might

be considered negligible, according to the research.

The next possession saw Sacramento take the lead, and in an odd turn of events, the Warriors lost to the Kings by a single point for the

second time in the 2023–24 NBA season.

The Warriors’ season record now stands at 19-23 after the loss. With four games remaining against the No. 10 seed Utah Jazz, Golden

State is two games away from earning a position in the NBA Play-In Tournament.

The Warriors will try to bounce back from yet another crushing loss this season when they take

on the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center on Saturday night.