The NBA has officially confirmed what Warriors fans suspected all along: Golden State was robbed in the final minutes of their heartbreaking 117-116 loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday night — right as Stephen Curry made his long-awaited return from a 27-game absence.
According to the league’s Last Two Minute Report, officials missed two critical calls in the closing moments that directly impacted the outcome of a one-point game.
First, Houston guard Amen Thompson should have been whistled for a foul on Curry with 1:27 remaining. After Steph converted a tough layup, Thompson “jumps from A to B and initiates body contact with Curry (GSW) as he defends the shot,” the report stated. No call was made, allowing the Rockets to maintain their slim lead during a pivotal stretch of Golden State’s comeback attempt.
Then, with 1:10 left, Rockets center Alperen Şengün clearly camped in the paint for longer than three seconds — a blatant defensive three-second violation that was completely ignored. Instead of a turnover, Houston kept possession. Şengün went on to score a layup, drew a foul from Draymond Green, and knocked down the free throw to extend the Rockets’ advantage.
Those two missed calls proved decisive in a contest that ultimately came down to the final possession.
Despite trailing by as many as 14 points, the Warriors mounted a furious rally, using a 15-3 run to cut the deficit to two with 2:30 to play. Curry, in his first game back since late January, delivered a vintage performance with 29 points on 11-of-21 shooting (5-of-10 from three) in just 26 minutes off the bench. His impact was immediate and undeniable — Golden State outscored Houston by 12 points with him on the floor and got outscored by 13 when he sat.
“I don’t think there’s a tougher defender in the league for him to have his first game against than Amen Thompson,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “That’s quite a test. Steph looked amazing.”
Golden State actually took their first lead since the second quarter in the final seconds when Gary Payton II converted a layup after a goaltending call. But Houston answered immediately, with Kevin Durant finding Şengün for a go-ahead layup with 11 seconds left. The Warriors opted not to call timeout, and Curry’s contested 30-footer at the buzzer sailed long, sealing the painful defeat.
While the loss drops Golden State to 36-42, they remain in the hunt for the No. 10 seed and a spot in the play-in tournament, where two wins would get them into the playoffs.
Still, the NBA’s admission adds salt to the wound for Warriors fans. In a game decided by a single point, two missed calls in the final two minutes handed Houston the margin they needed to escape with the victory.
On a night that should have been all about Steph Curry’s triumphant return, the Rockets got away with murder — and the league just made it official.