It’s all jokes as long as you win. Steph Curry’s epic timeout blunder nearly gifted Game 4 to the Kings on Sunday afternoon, but the Dubs survived, 126-125, to tie the series.
Steve Kerr generously said Curry’s calling a timeout with none left was “100% my fault,” but that didn’t save Curry from a little gentle ribbing from his teammates.
“Steph ‘C-Webb’ Curry,” Klay Thompson shouted when walking down the tunnel after the narrow win. The footage can be seen on the NBA’s Instagram.
Thompson is referring to one of the worst screwups in basketball history, which was top of mind for everyone watching Sunday.
In the 1993 NCAA final, former Warrior and King Chris Webber called a timeout with his Michigan team down 2 points heading into a likely final possession. With no timeouts left, Michigan was called for a technical, essentially handing North Carolina the game.
Curry was lucky to avoid a similar fate Sunday. With 40 seconds left and the Warriors up by 5, Curry was trapped and called a phantom timeout. The technical and subsequent De’Aaron Fox free throw gave the Kings a chance to win, but Harrison Barnes’ 3-pointer missed at the horn.
“He took the blame for it, but I ain’t going to lie: I thought it was the smartest play in the world,” Curry said after the win, according to ESPN. “I looked at the bench, and everybody was shaking their head. It was an unfortunate situation.”