The Houston Rockets are advancing to the NBA Cup semifinals after a heart-stopping 91-90 win over the Golden State Warriors.

The heartbreak was double the trouble for Steve Kerr as he believed that the referees missed huge calls in the final moments.

Rockets Snap Losing Streak vs. Warriors

Steve Kerr Can't Believe How Refs Messed Up Warriors-Rockets Game Steve Kerr Can't Believe How Refs Messed Up Warriors-Rockets Game
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Yahoo Sports reports that the Rockets ended a 15-game losing streak against their longtime rivals, the Warriors. Their last win against Golden State was in February 2020, during the James Harden and Russell Westbrook era. With this win, Houston heads to Las Vegas to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the semifinals.

Chaotic Final Seconds

It was all decided in the final 30 seconds of play, a series of events that was pure chaos. Golden State had a six-point lead just 90 seconds before the buzzer sounded. Houston clawed back.

A layup by Alperen Şengün cut it down to one, and shortly later, a crucial turnover by Gary Payton II gave Houston the opportunity they needed.

Payton, after grabbing a rebound off a missed Stephen Curry three-pointer, passed rather than called for a timeout with Rockets players all over him. It allowed Jalen Green to gather the ball and drew an iffy foul on a free throw attempt, sinking the decisive free throws and putting Houston ahead.

Steve Kerr's Frustration Boils Over

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr didn't mince words post-game, blasting the officiating.

"A loose ball situation, 80 feet from the basket, with the game on the line. I've never seen that. Think I saw it in college one time, 30 years ago. Never seen it in the NBA. That is unconscionable. I don't even understand what just happened."

"This is a billion-dollar industry. You've got people's jobs on the line ... Our guys deserved to win that game or at least have a chance for one stop at the end to finish the game and that was taken from us by a call I don't think an elementary school referee would have made, because that guy would have had feel and said 'You know what, I'm not going to decide a game on a loose ball 80 feet from the basket.'"

Despite Kerr's protests, the Warriors had one last opportunity with 3.5 seconds left, but rookie Brandin Podziemski's shot was blocked, sealing the Rockets' triumph.

"I'm pissed off. I wanted to go to Las Vegas. We wanted to win this Cup. We aren't going because of a loose-ball foul 80 feet from the basket with the game on the line. I've never seen anything like it in my life. That was ridiculous."

Warriors' Late-Game Collapse

Golden State's loss wasn't all officiating. The team ended the game with five consecutive empty possessions, including multiple shot-clock violations. Their inability to execute in crunch time left them giving Houston an opportunity to take advantage of.