NBA Investigating Questionable Kings Foul on Seth Curry

Kings claim foul was a strategic mistake by head coach Doug Christie.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 9:49pm

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A fragmented, geometric painting depicting a basketball game, with players and the court broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of color, reflecting the complex and contested nature of the foul call under investigation.A cubist interpretation of the controversial foul call that has the NBA investigating the Sacramento Kings' strategy.Today in Sacramento

The NBA is investigating an unusual foul committed by the Sacramento Kings on Golden State Warriors guard Seth Curry in the final minutes of Tuesday's game. The Kings were leading 101-100 when head coach Doug Christie instructed his players to intentionally foul Curry, despite not having a foul to give. The Kings have argued this was a strategic error by Christie, who thought they had a foul to spare, but the move ultimately gave the Warriors the momentum to win 110-105.

Why it matters

The incident has raised questions about potential tanking tactics by the Kings, who are out of playoff contention. The NBA is looking into the matter to determine if any rules were violated or if it was simply a coaching mistake.

The details

With 3:15 left in the fourth quarter and the Kings leading 101-100, Doug McDermott committed an intentional foul on Seth Curry, sending him to the free-throw line. The Kings have claimed this was an error by head coach Doug Christie, who thought they had a foul to give to stop the clock and get a free timeout, but in reality they did not have any remaining fouls to give.

  • The incident occurred with 3:15 remaining in the fourth quarter of Tuesday's game between the Kings and Warriors.

The players

Seth Curry

Guard for the Golden State Warriors.

Doug Christie

Head coach of the Sacramento Kings.

Doug McDermott

Forward for the Sacramento Kings.

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What they’re saying

“I'm told the NBA is investigating this situation, this foul that took place with over three minutes left in the game to Seth Curry. Kings sources tell me Doug Christie made a mistake, a strategical error. He thought he had a foul to give with over three minutes to go to get a free timeout.”

— Shams Charania, ESPN Analyst

What’s next

The NBA is expected to complete its investigation into the incident and determine if any disciplinary action is warranted against the Kings or head coach Doug Christie.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the fine line between strategic coaching decisions and potential tanking tactics in the NBA. The league's investigation will shed light on whether this was a genuine mistake or an attempt by the Kings to gain an unfair advantage.