WARRING WARRIORS? ‘NOT AT ALL’
Warriors say Green vs. Durant conflict just ‘normal family feud’ Draymond Green approached Kevin Durant near the end of Golden State’s bench and quickly their discussion escalated into a heated dispute. While the rest of the Warriors watched, a teammate eventually came over to keep the peace.
That flap during Saturday’s overtime loss at Sacramento wasn’t the first between the AllStars, either.
Warring Warriors? No, no worries about a family feud for the NBA’s top team.
Green insists that’s all part of it from time to time and there is never any harm intended. Coach Steve Kerr considers it healthy and a positive once in a while.
“If you can’t, you’re probably on a losing team,” the fiery Green said Tuesday.
Green and Durant squabbled on the court late in the third quarter after a mix-up led to a shot-clock violation. Soon after, Green could be seen on video walking toward Durant and yelling from close range while raising his hands in the air.
Green then took a seat on the bench and Durant came over to continue their argument, with Shaun Livingston playing peacemaker.
“We know it’s really nothing. It’s constructive to try to understand how we’re going to get better,” Warriors star Stephen Curry said Tuesday. “It comes from a place of respect between everybody on this team, including those two guys. So, nobody takes anything personal, nobody goes home and cries about it.
Green wouldn’t say exactly what was at issue moments after the Warriors’ 109-106 loss, only suggesting “it was actually a tac- tic, but that’s for us to know and for everyone else to figure out.” Green and KD also were teammates on the U.S. Olympic team that won gold in Rio last summer.
Kerr, meanwhile, was already long gone after being ejected with 3:34 left in the third quarter for a profanity-laden tirade directed at official Bill Spooner. The reigning NBA Coach of the Year apologized through the league to Spooner a day later. The NBA fined Kerr $25,000 on Monday.
Kerr described the defeat as one of his team’s worst games. The Warriors, with an NBA-best 43-8 record, host Chicago on Wednesday night and will try to avoid consecutive regular-season losses for the first time since April 2015 during the franchise’s championship season.
“That’s what it’s like to be on a team. These guys are so close,” he said. “KD and Draymond are best of friends and they’re together every night laughing and joking. So when something happens on the floor, I don’t even bat an eye. It’s just competitive, heat-of-the-moment stuff. We played an awful game. It was a bad night for all of us.” /