NBA Clears Kings, Says Late-Game Foul On Seth Curry Was Coaching Error, Not Tanking

The foul, ordered with 3:15 remaining and the Kings trailing by one, sent Curry to the free-throw line and set off a social media firestorm accusing Sacramento of blatant tanking. Draymond Green amplified the controversy after the game, citing the decision as further evidence of the league's broader competitive integrity problem. Christie and Kings officials maintained from the outset that the foul was a straightforward coaching mistake. Christie intended to preserve a timeout before automatically losing it when the clock dropped below three minutes, planning to draw up a play on the subsequent possession. He was unaware the Kings were already in the bonus, which sent Curry to the line rather than granting a side-out inbounds. The strategy behind the foul ultimately worked. Christie drew up a play for Doug McDermott out of the timeout that resulted in a corner three-pointer, putting Sacramento ahead by three with 2:53 remaining. The Kings ultimately surrendered that lead in the closing minutes. The broader evidence also supports Christie's account. Since sitting at 12-46 on Feb. 21, Sacramento has gone 9-13, a stretch inconsistent with a team actively pursuing losses. Christie has been direct on the subject. Tanking is the last thing I'd do, Christie said after a March 15 win over Utah. I respect the game too much. These young men, when you do things like that, it hurts them. If we wanted to tank, we're doing an awful job of it, said one source with the Kings. The episode arrives as the NBA continues to struggle with the broader tanking dilemma. The Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers were fined 500,000 and 100,000 respectively in February for violating the league's player participation policy. Commissioner Adam Silver has signaled significant lottery reform is coming for next season, though those measures have yet to take effect.