Warriors' loss to Magic featured strange clock malfunction

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Up 10 points three minutes into the fourth quarter, the Warriors needed to use as much clock as possible to try to get out of Amway Center with a win over the Orlando Magic.

The clock operator in Orlando had other ideas.

After Magic guard Evan Fournier made a 3-pointer to cut the Warriors' lead to 106-96 with 8:23 left in regulation, the game clock and shot clock didn't run for Golden State's entire subsequent possession.

The error wasn't noticed during the game, but The Athletic's Anthony Slater was the first to see the clock malfunction after the Warriors lost 124-120 to the Magic.

Following Fournier's shot, the Warriors inbounded the ball and ran their entire offensive set before Andrew Wiggins missed a wing jumper. The clock didn't start until after Orlando collected the rebound and had crossed the half-court line.

The Warriors erased an early 17-point deficit Friday and took a 13-point lead over the Magic in the fourth quarter, only to go cold over the final eight minutes of the game and lose.

Did those 20 seconds cost the Warriors the game? Probably not. They should have been able to hold on to a 10-point lead with just over eight minutes to go. But they won't feel good about when they see the replay of the clock malfunction.

RELATED: Warriors Twitter reacts to big third quarter from Wiggins, Oubre

At this point, there's nothing the NBA can do about it. NBC Sports Bay Area's Grant Liffmann joked on "Warriors Outsiders" that the team should file a complaint to the league. But that's probably not an option.

Coach Steve Kerr and his players know that a 20-second clock malfunction didn't cost the Warriors the game. They lost because they didn't close the game the way a good team should.

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