NBA Playoffs 2014: Clippers-Warriors involved in post-game altercation
Update (3:50 A.M. EST): Here is an update on the situation from Amick, this time including who was involved in the altercation and what
"As was described by the witnesses, Paul came along as the incident appeared to be dying down and his mere presence picked things up again.For all the talk of Blake Griffin and how he gets under his opponents’ proverbial skin, Paul is the one who has been driving the Warriors mad for quite some time now. He wasn’t alone, though, as Matt Barnes and Glen Davis were also among the other Clippers players seen at the scene. The Warriors’ Jermaine O’Neal and Stephen Curry were also involved in some capacity, with Golden State coaches – including head coach Mark Jackson – eventually coming out when the situation escalated."
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According to Sam Amick of USA TODAY Sports, the Clippers and Warriors players got into an altercation in the hallways following the Clippers 126-121 defeat over the Warriors in Game 7 of the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs:
"According to two people with knowledge of the situation, the teams that went back and forth in a brilliant Game 7 of their first-round playoff series on Saturday night (a 126-121 Clippers win) followed the on-court action by engaging in a heated verbal back-and-forth in the tunnel near the locker rooms at Staples Center. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.The incident came in two waves, with most of the Warriors in the hallway at one point along with several Clippers. The police were called to assist, though it’s not believed any punches were thrown. While all the details of the situation were not immediately clear, it’s believed that Warriors big man Marreese Speights was the aggressor for the Warriors while point guard Chris Paul was allegedly the irritant for the Clippers. Which, of course, would be exactly as anyone who has watched these two teams in recent weeks might expect.via Chris Paul sparks Clippers-Warriors hallway altercation | USA TODAY Sports"
Odds are no one is surprised at this happening. Since the 2012-13 season, these two teams have shown ample amount of times how they aren’t too fond of each other. Whether it’s Matt Barnes, Andrew Bogut, Blake Griffin, or Draymond Green, there’s always something happening somewhere. If Amick’s story proves to be true, this will have been the second time in months that these teams have chosen to deal with each other backstage, the first being a verbal argument between Blake Griffin and Jermaine O’Neal that occurred on March 14th.
Someone from LAC believed to be an asst. coach yelled, "It's kind of quiet in there," outside the GS locker room after Game 7, sources said.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) May 4, 2014
The Clippers and Warriors will have an entire six months away from each other as the Clippers moves on the second round to face the Oklahoma City Thunder. Things may simmer down over that period, but when these two step back onto the court, presumably at full strength, it’ll be like game 8 of a series and rivalry that doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.