Kerr, Steph address free-throw disparity in Warriors' double-OT loss

Kerr, Steph address free-throw disparity in Warriors' double-OT loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It's no surprise that the Warriors only went to the free-throw line 16 times in their crushing 145-144 double-overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night at Chase Center.

They entered Saturday's game 21st in the NBA in free-throw attempts (962) this season.

What was shocking was that they allowed the Lakers to go to the charity strip a staggering 43 times.

While the Warriors went 11 of 16 from the line, the Lakers, who entered the game having shot the seventh most free throws (1,111) in the NBA, made 38 of their 43 free-throw attempts.

After the loss, Warriors coach Steve Kerr had a perfectly reasonable explanation for not going off on the referees for the massive free-throw disparity.

"I might comment on the free throws that they shot, but my mom is here right now and I want to be on my best behavior, so I'm not going to comment on the 43 free throws to our 16," Kerr told reporters. "I'm not going to comment on Steph [Curry] shooting three free throws in 43 minutes. Yeah, so I'm not going to comment on that."

Curry, who made all three of his free-throw attempts, wasn't as diplomatic when asked about the final totals.

"We've had this conversation, especially playing against them," Curry told reporters. "They draw a lot of fouls. Last year they had some crazy free-throw disparity and advantage. Tonight is just one of those where this is not consistent and that's the most frustrating part. Because you want to be in a place where the players decide the game and it's either the players decide the game or it's consistent on both ends of what you're calling.

"And so like, not to say, obviously, we shoot a lot of threes. I know that there's a different style, but there's probably like three plays I was involved in where it's just a clear, bad call in the sense of giving guys unnecessary free throw attempts and then on the other end, contact or plays that just, they look the other way for whatever reason.

"So in a single game when you have inconsistency on both sides, that's the most frustrating thing of all. Doesn't mean that we're gonna go to the line 58 times. It just means that there's a tone of the game and there's a flow that we can adapt to and adjust to. And it wasn't like that tonight. So it's tough."

The loss drops the Warriors to 19-24 this season, and their schedule doesn't get any easier with 29-15 Philadelphia 76ers coming to town Tuesday.

While the free-throw disparity was alarming Saturday night, the Warriors still had several opportunities to win the game. But they let another winnable contest slip through their fingers.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast