Stephen Curry knows he cannot make the same mistake after his ejection in the Golden State Warriors' win over the Memphis Grizzlies, head coach Steve Kerr says.
Curry was ejected with 1:14 remaining in the fourth quarter for unsportsmanlike conduct, having thrown his mouthpiece in frustration after Jordan Poole opted not to pass to him before missing a three-point attempt.
The ejection did not hinder the Warriors, with Poole scoring a last-second layup to clinch a narrow 122-120 victory that moved the franchise up to ninth in the Western Conference with a 24-24 record.
While the loss of Curry was not detrimental to the result, Kerr knows the outcome could have been different and the NBA Finals MVP must avoid similar actions in the future.
"I didn't see what happened at the time, so when the ref called it I was confused," he said.
"Then the coach told me he threw the mouthpiece down out of anger. I think that's an automatic ejection. He knows he can't make that mistake again."
Poole was quizzed on the incident following the win, as well as his interaction with Curry in the tunnel after the game, but claimed he could not remember what occurred prior to his teammates' ejection.
"I don't even know what you're talking about, I have a short memory," he replied.
"We just kind of embraced a little bit [in the tunnel], he's our leader, we would have loved to have him in the game for the last three [minutes]
"But we just found a way to grind it out, get a big win against a really good team, and now we just want to keep that momentum going."
Kerr was similarly keen to avoid any unnecessary drama, highlighting that the victory was more important.
"Was Steph Curry open next to him? We won, let's focus on the positives," he added.