"Refs rigging lmao" - NBA fans blame Warriors-Rockets Game 1's officiating as Steph Curry and Co. win series opener

Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors won Game 1 of their first-round series against the Houston Rockets on Sunday. Curry's absurd shotmaking amid a 31-point game led Golden State to a 95-85 hard-fought win. The two-time MVP made 63.2% of his shots, including 5 of 9 from 3, adding six rebounds and three assists.

However, the conversation around the game tilted towards late-game officiating at a critical juncture, which saw questionable calls go against the Rockets. After Houston made a strong comeback to trim the 23-point deficit to four in the fourth quarter, the refs missed a travel violation on Brandin Podziemski, which directly led to a Moses Moody two-point shot.

Meanwhile, in the next play, Amen Thompson trimmed the lead back to four with a jumper, keeping the Rockets within touching distance of a win with 5:34 left. However, the game turned around shortly after Draymond Green put the ball out of bounds, and the refs didn't spot it.

Steph Curry made a 3, and the five-point swing hurt the Rockets, stretching the Dubs' lead to seven. It took all the momentum away from Houston, sparking furious reactions from NBA fans.

Here's what one X user wrote:

Another said:

"It never fails. Those kind of missed calls always end up in points lmao"

Another pointed out a separate incident:

"Dont forget the play where curry ran over fvv but apparently it was a rockets foul"

One fan said:

"AGAIN??? LMFAOOOOOO"

One fan added:

"shi ruined all momentum"

Officiating was a heated debate throughout the contest. Fans were also agitated about the lack of whistles against Steph Curry and the soft calls that went in Jimmy Butler's favor. The Warriors got the benefit of the doubt late in the game, but the Rockets had 20 trips to the foul line compared to the Warriors' 14, and that potentially voids the argument over the officiating.