NBA Rumors: Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors to play on Christmas
By Sam Richmond
While the 2014-15 NBA schedule has yet to be released, we’re starting to get some hints at what some of its signature games will be. It’s been heavily reported that the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James will play the Miami Heat on Christmas. Now, it looks like we have information about another Christmas matchup.
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From Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times:
Clippers will play Warriors at Staples Center on Christmas night. Clippers played at Golden State last Christmas night.
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) August 8, 2014
As Turner noted, the two teams faced off last Christmas. The Warriors won the game, but the story coming out of the contest was the bad blood between the two teams. Golden State’s Draymond Green and the Clippers’ Blake Griffin were ejected and the Warriors’ Andrew Bogut racked up a technical foul.
Griffin ripped the Warriors following the game as a result of the above play, via the Associated Press.
"“If you look at it, I didn’t do anything and I got thrown out of the game. It all boils down to they (referees) fell for it,” Griffin said. “To me, it’s cowardly basketball. I don’t know their intentions, but it worked. … If I knew the answer I’d probably be in a different position. Tonight I got two technicals for nothing.”"
The two teams would later meet in a highly-competitive and physical first-round playoff series in which the Clippers outlasted the Warriors in seven games. Before the series started, Golden State guard Klay Thompson accused of Griffin being a flopper on a San Francisco radio show, adding to the problems between the two teams.
Regardless of what else the NBA has in store for us on Christmas, this should be one of the better games, due to the talent and disdain for one another in play.