NBA reportedly investigating Kings for head-scratching play in loss to Warriors
NBA reportedly investigating Kings for head-scratching play in loss to Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The NBA is doing its due diligence after a head-scratching play late in the Kings’ 110-105 loss to the Warriors on Tuesday night at Chase Center caught many people’s attention.
With 3:15 remaining in the fourth quarter, and Sacramento leading by one point (101-100), Kings guard Doug McDermott oddly fouled Warriors guard Seth Curry , both of whom were nowhere near the ball, resulting in two Curry free-throw attempts.
The play immediately turned heads, with many believing it was an act of tanking to ensure Golden State would get to the line in an effort to retake the lead and, eventually, go on to win.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday on “NBA Today” that the league now is looking into the play, with Sacramento claiming it was just a mistake by coach Doug Christie.
“I’m told the NBA is investigating this situation, this foul that took place with just over three minutes left in the game to Seth Curry, but Kings sources tell me that Doug Christie just made a mistake, a strategical error,” Charania said. “He thought he had a foul to give with over three minutes to go to get a free timeout. That’s the rule if you have over three minutes left, he thought he had a foul to give. He did not have a foul to give.
“The Kings’ side is saying that this was a mistake, and this is the argument that’s going on across the league right now. Tanking vs. rebuilding. The Kings are 7-9 in their last 16 games. They were the worst team in the NBA when they went on this 7-9 run. Now they’re around four or five, as far as worst teams. If they wanted to ‘tank,’ they could just continue to lose, they have been ravaged by injuries, I will say. They’re obviously not a premiere basketball team.”
Warriors forward Draymond Green , who was on the court at the time of the play, was dumbfounded by it after the game.
“I saw a team tonight foul Seth Curry with three minutes to go in a game for no reason,” Green said.
After the foul, Golden State went on a 10-4 run to close out the remainder of the game, handing Sacramento it’s 59th loss of the 2025-26 NBA season.
