Golden State Warriors Are Prepared for Final Matchup with Clippers

The Golden State Warriors have been one of the most entertaining teams in the NBA this season. With Stephen Curry‘s flashy passes, with Klay Thompson‘s exciting threes, with ferocious blocks from Andrew Bogut, and with a high-powered transition game, offense, and defense, the Warriors are the most fun team to watch in the NBA.

When they play one particular opponent though, the entertainment value shoots up even higher than the rafters of Oracle Arena. When the Warriors face off against their biggest rival, the Los Angeles Clippers, the games are not only fun to watch, but they’re even more enticing because of the physicality and heightened level of competition.

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The Warriors face the Clippers tonight for the final time this season. The Warriors have won two out of their three matchups with the Clippers so far this season and they’ve already locked up the Pacific Division title and the Western Conference title, so even though this game won’t affect the Warriors’ seeding really at all, this game will still be a must-see.

Draymond Green, the Warriors’ heartbeat, one of their vocal leaders, and the ultimate loyal teammate, spoke to Monte Poole of Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area, along with other local reporters, about this upcoming game with the Clippers, which he might have to miss with shin inflammation.

"“It’s still going to be an intense game,” he said Monday. “We want to take their heads off, and they want to take our heads off. That’s just the way it is, so just roll with the punches.”…“It’s no secret: They don’t like us. We don’ t like them,” Green said. “And that’s not going to change.”"

Green doesn’t back down from anyone or anything, and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr knows that even if Green is held out of today’s game against the Clippers that he will still have something to say about the Clippers and the rivalry, according to Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle:

"“Draymond thrives off of that stuff, so go for it,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said."

Kerr is right that Green thrives on that “trash talk” before and after games against the Clippers. Kerr doesn’t have to look that far back when thinking about the last time Green squabbled with the Clippers.

In the Warriors’ last matchup with the Clippers a few weeks ago at Oracle Arena, Green had a standout performance with 23 points, three rebounds, and six assists on 8-for-15 shooting. Green was rewarded for this production with a postgame interview with ABC’s Lisa Salters, and during the interview, Clippers guard Dahntay Jones appeared to intentionally run into Green, which added to the heat of the rivalry even more.

After this encounter, Green spoke to reporters about the incident. Here’s part of what he said about Jones’ not-so-subtle postgame bump:

"That’s really smart, too. You know, when it’s on ABC and obviously the post-game interview is the highlight of that segment. And you bump somebody.He got some camera time, which he needed, because there wasn’t much celebration from their bench today so you didn’t see him much. So he got the camera time he was looking for. Just expect it to be reviewed and see what happens.But he served his purpose in today’s game."

After Green said that, Clippers head coach Doc Rivers questioned Green’s toughness, which Green responded to by making shirts that said “Cool story, Glenn,” referring to Rivers’ real first name. After a couple more back-and-forth comments between the two, the “feud” has seemed to calm down, but the rivalry between the teams remains. Simmons discussed this situation with Green yesterday:

"“I think a lot of people were trying to take it and twist it, but I have the utmost respect for Doc and what he’s done over the course of his career,” Green said. “As a former player, he’s one of the guys who paved the way for me. I respect all former players. He’s a champion. He’s proven it over the course of time. … For me, it was all fun and games, honestly — even with the shirts. …. But if he says something else, I’m going to have fun again.”Rivers didn’t have to say anything else. His son, Jeremiah, did it for him. Jeremiah Rivers, who averaged 4.9 points per game in two seasons at Indiana from 2009-11, posted to his Twitter account: “Draymond Green Always Been A Lame.”“His son didn’t play at Indiana, so he can’t talk to me,” Green said. “He never beat me, so we won’t even say his name. We’ll give him no publicity. Tell him to chase it some other way. He won’t get his publicity off of me.”"

It’s quite unfortunate that Green will most likely sit out today’s battle due to injury. Green’s injury doesn’t seem too severe, which is great news, but the game against the Clippers certainly won’t be quite as entertaining if Green is unable to play.

Regardless though, Green is right. This Warriors team doesn’t like the Clippers, and the Clippers certainly don’t like the Warriors. They will face off in one more battle this season, and even though this game doesn’t really affect the Warriors, in terms of standings, any win against the Clippers is a little more satisfying than the rest.

Next: Warriors Move One Step Closer to a Title

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