Porzingis is eager to erase woeful Warriors memories

SAN FRANCISCO — If Draymond Green really wants to get under Kristaps Porzingis’ skin Thursday at Oracle Arena, he can whisper in his ear: “Zinger.’’ That’s the nickname from Spain Porzingis still loathes.

Not that Green needed to do any trash-talking last season in their two meetings, which Green dominated against the rookie. Porzingis claimed Green did no trash-talking whatsoever, but he still is looking to avenge those two nightmare evenings against the 73-win Warriors.

“Both games he played really well defensively against me,’’ Porzingis said. “So he’s one of the top defenders in the league. It’s going to be a challenge ... but I’m really looking forward to it.

“We didn’t really talk about nothing. But after games like that, you don’t even need anybody to talk to you. I want to go out there. Last season, right after the game was over I was thinking when was the next time we were going to get a chance to play against them. I’m ready for him.”

Porzingis has broken out of his mini-slump with back-to-back masterpieces — 26 points vs. the Lakers and 34 in the overtime heartbreaker in Phoenix. In the Suns game, Porzingis showed he has a nasty side, getting into a shoving match with rookie Marquese Chriss. Of course, Green,

the game’s top enforcer, lives for those moments.

“If those situations happen, I’m not going to be the nice guy in every situation,’’ Porzingis said.

Green had his way with Porzingis, notching a triple-double at the Garden Jan. 31 in going 9-for-9. In the rematch in Oakland in March, Porzingis was 1-of-11 for 3 points.

In neither game did Porzingis show the reason why Kevin Durant has nicknamed him “unicorn,” which Phil Jackson repeated last week.

“That’s how KD saw me last year, as a unicorn coming into the league at 7-3 who could shoot, and the same thing with Phil,’’ Porzingis said. “So I guess that’s the right word to explain what I’m able to do on the court.’’

Porzingis reiterated he would prefer to be called “KP” or even “KP6.” He despises the moniker “Zinger” — which his former coach in Seville, Scott Roth, tagged on him. Coincidentally, Roth watched Porzingis on Tuesday in Phoenix having recently been hired as a Timberwolves scout.

“Whatever people want to call me, I’m cool with, except ‘Zinger,’” Porzingis said. “A coach I had in Spain, Scott Roth, he used to call me Zinger. He would yell at me all the time, ‘Zinger!’ It’s just stuck in my head that I don’t like that name.”