On a tense Monday night in Inglewood, the Los Angeles Clippers held off the Golden State Warriors 103-102, but the lasting image was not the final score. It was Steve Kerr, arms spread and voice raised, being escorted away after back-to-back technical fouls with 7:57 left in the fourth quarter. The Warriors’ head coach boiled over after a no-call on what he felt was a clear goaltending by Clippers forward John Collins on Gary Payton II’s layup attempt.

The ejection — Kerr’s fifth of his career — injected raw emotion into a game already brimming with late drama, missed chances, and clutch swings. It also came on a night when music icon Snoop Dogg was on the Peacock broadcast, narrating the moment like a courtside emcee watching a neighborhood showdown.

Inside the flashpoint: Kerr’s ejection and the non-call

The sequence that lit the fuse was quick. Payton drove, lofted a layup, and Collins met it high. Kerr believed the ball was already on its downward path. The whistle never came. Kerr stormed toward the officials, and in seconds, the officiating crew hit him with two technical fouls. Assistants and Payton II physically pulled the coach back as the Intuit Dome crowd roared.

On the broadcast, Snoop Dogg captured the scene with a mix of humor and hometown energy: “Uh-oh, Steve gonna get thrown out. Get him out of there! Get him out of there! Back him up, back him up GP. Steve ready to fire on ’em. Steve banging Inglewood right now. Inglewood! Get him Steve, you in Inglewood, Steve.”

Kerr declined to speak after the game. Assistant coach Terry Stotts took the podium instead and summed it up with a wink: “I’m up here to save Steve some money.” The subtext was clear — fines often follow fiery nights.

“If that’s not goaltending, what is? These margins decide seasons.”

A game of runs at Intuit Dome: Clippers’ surge, Warriors’ drought

This wasn’t just about one call. The Clippers controlled long stretches, especially during a 25-9 blast in the middle frames keyed by Kawhi Leonard’s steady shot-making and board work. They led by as many as 14 in the third quarter.

Golden State’s offense sputtered. The Warriors shot only 38% from the field and a painful 3-for-24 from deep. Their third quarter produced just 13 points, a lull that left them down 76-64 and put them in scramble mode late. At halftime, they trailed 55-51 — well within reach — but their perimeter cold spell kept them chasing.

The Clippers didn’t have James Harden, a late scratch, yet they found enough creation by committee. Leonard’s line (24 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists) wasn’t flashy from three (0-for-8), but he controlled tempo. Collins owned the glass with 18 rebounds to go with 18 points and three blocks, including the sequence that sparked Kerr’s ejection.

“You can’t go 3-for-24 from three and expect road magic. That math bites back.”

Stars and swing pieces: Curry, Butler, Kawhi, and Collins

Stephen Curry tried to drag the Warriors back. He scored 27 points with 6 assists, and his back-to-back threes pulled Golden State within a single point late. But his night ended with 42.7 seconds left when he fouled out. That changed the final possessions and stripped the Warriors of their top closer.

Jimmy Butler delivered 24 points and 6 rebounds and, with Curry out, took the last shot at the horn — a clean look that missed. Curry and Butler combined to shoot 5-for-19 from beyond the arc, a number that tracked with the Warriors’ overall three-point struggles.

For the Clippers, Leonard’s big two-way night set the tone, but Collins’ work on the glass and at the rim was the difference-maker. The frontcourt punch kept Golden State from flipping the possession battle, and Collins was central to the game’s defining controversy. The Clippers also got a major lift from Kobe Sanders, who posted a career-high 20 points with 7 rebounds. Those were needed buckets on a night when the threes weren’t falling for Leonard.

Gary Payton II added 14 points for the Warriors, flying around on cuts and in transition. Draymond Green, who had a rib concern before halftime, still found a way to produce a tough late layup as Golden State made its push.

“Kobe Sanders with 20 and 7 is the bright spot — those minutes matter in April.”

Crunch time: thin margins, big emotions

When a game finishes 103-102, almost every possession feels like a hinge. Curry’s foul-out with under a minute to go forced the Warriors to find a new closer. Butler stepped into that role with the game on the line and got a fair look. It didn’t drop.

For the Clippers, the win was a test of composure. Without Harden, they leaned on Leonard’s poise and Collins’ rebounding to bank a hard-fought result. For Golden State, it was a reminder that effort without efficiency rarely solves road games against teams that control the paint.

What it means now: records, rhythm, and stakes

The Warriors fell to 19-18, missing a chance to notch their 20th win and build momentum. The record shows a team hovering above .500 that still swings from cold to hot in a single night. The fix isn’t complicated to state, even if it’s hard to do: better shot quality and improved three-point rhythm, especially away from home.

The Clippers move to 13-22. It’s not a pretty mark, but this type of win offers a blueprint: defend, rebound, and let Leonard win possessions late. If Harden returns soon, the rotation math changes, but the heart of this version — toughness around the rim led by Collins — is repeatable.

As for Kerr, the league office will look at the ejection and the sequence that caused it. Whether or not the goaltending was missed is almost beside the point now; the reality is that a close game turned on emotion, and the Warriors had to finish without the voice that usually steadies them. Stotts’ line — “save Steve some money” — was a laugh line with a truth inside it. Passion comes with a bill.

Big picture: lessons from a one-point loss

Golden State has made a living on late-game shot-making for a decade. On this night, the shots didn’t fall often enough, the coach didn’t finish the game, and their star fouled out. There were positives — Payton’s activity, Sanders’ rise, Green’s grit — but the scoreboard doesn’t grade on a curve.

The Clippers, meanwhile, walked away with a win that can build belief. They won the glass, protected their paint, and survived a final look at the buzzer. Those are the types of boxes that veteran teams check when they want to change their season’s story.

In the end, the roar inside the Intuit Dome said it all: a one-point win, a coach tossed, a broadcast moment for the ages, and a reminder that in the NBA, the line between heartbreak and relief is razor thin.