A late-game decision by the Sacramento Kings in Tuesday’s loss to the Golden State Warriors has drawn attention from the NBA, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater.
Up one point with 3:15 remaining, head coach Doug Christie instructed his team to intentionally foul Seth Curry off the ball, even though Sacramento was already in the bonus.
The move sent Curry, an 86.4% career free throw shooter, to the line for two attempts.
Warriors forward Draymond Green suggested afterward that the play resembled tanking, but Kings sources told Slater it was simply an error.
Christie reportedly was unaware his team was already in the penalty and was attempting to preserve a timeout before the clock dropped under three minutes.
The decision didn’t ultimately cost Sacramento, as Curry made only one free throw and the Kings regained the lead on a Doug McDermott three-pointer on the next possession.
Christie has consistently pushed back against tanking, and the team had gone 7-8 over its previous 15 games entering Tuesday.
Kings Notes: Curry Foul, Lottery Odds, DeRozan, Offseason pic.twitter.com/7t5dXwvUDd
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) April 8, 2026