Things got real heated and almost escalated into something major between the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday
Shockingly enough, the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder aren’t the biggest fans of one another. Maybe it has something to do with Kevin Durant leaving the latter to join the former in free agency this past offseason, but we can’t be sure. However, Russell Westbrook, Durant, Draymond Green and virtually everyone on either roster have done plenty to fuel the fire.
Between cupcake talk and other verbal shots, though, things haven’t been all that serious when on the floor. The Warriors—especially when Durant isn’t sidelined—are a substantially better overall basketball team. But when the two teams clashed on Monday night in Oklahoma City, things came dangerously close to getting quite ugly.
At the end of the second quarter with halftime just seconds away, there was a jump ball as each team hoped to get one last bucket going into the locker room. While setting up, Stephen Curry and Thunder rookie guard Semaj Christon were jostling for position, which then escalated to a brief shoving match. In turn, every other player on the floor stepped in and a brawl almost got underway:
Look, no one is going to condone violence in the NBA during a game (or even not). The Malice at the Palace is one of the black-marks on the league’s history. However, it’s hard not to love an almost-fight between these two teams.
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There are undoubtedly still rivalries in today’s NBA, but there is very little true bad blood. That’s what exists between these two teams, however. They legitimately hate one another right now. Even if that passes in time, it’s a wonderful wrinkle to have for the time being. Let’s just pray that fortunes lead to a Warriors-Thunder playoff series.