Following an ejection in the fourth quarter on Wednesday night, Blake Griffin said that the Golden State Warriors play "cowardly basketball" after the Los Angeles Clippers 105-103 loss to the Warriors.
"If you look at it, I didn't do anything and I got thrown out of the game," Griffin told ESPN after the game. "It all boils down to they fell for it. To me, that's cowardly. That's cowardly basketball."
With 10:43 remaining in the game, Griffin was ejected after he was tangled up with Andrew Bogut while trying to get free in the paint. Bogut was given a flagrant foul and Griffin was given his second technical foul of the game, leading to his ejection. Griffin received his first technical in the third quarter after Draymond Green elbowed him and Griffin jawed at him.
"Instead of just playing straight up and playing a game it got into something more than that and it's unfortunate because you want to play a team head-to-head," Griffin said via ESPN. "You don't want to start playing other games and playing cowardly basketball."
Clippers coach Doc Rivers seemed to agree with Griffin by saying that he thought the Warriors realized they had to play a different type of game in order to beat the Clippers when they were trailing 78-75 after three quarters.
"Honestly, I thought we were just kicking their butts and they went to something else, to be honest," Rivers said via ESPN. "But that's fine."
Following the game, Griffin was still trying to figure out why he was ejected from the contest.
"[Bogut] got a flagrant 1 and I got thrown out," Griffin said, according to ESPN. "He was grabbing on to me and they called the foul and he grabbed the neck of my jersey so I tried to back up knowing I only had one technical but they did a good job. They sold it. They fell for it. ... I feel tonight I got two technicals for nothing."
Warriors coach Mark Johnson was asked after the game about any ill-feelings between the two teams and quipped, "No we like them, Merry Christmas."
"We understand it, but it's just physical basketball," he continued via ESPN. "We don't get caught up in it. Fouls, hard fouls, rebounds and screens -- just good old fashioned basketball. Two teams were playing for something. At the end of the day we know they are a very good basketball team. Nothing but respect for them."
Griffin had to be held back by teammates during his altercation with Green in the third quarter and he received his first technical while Green was ejected for his second flagrant foul after a review.
Rivers said he believed after Griffin's second technical and ejection that Golden State was trying to eliminate him from the game.
"I think he said that Golden State was trying to get Blake thrown out of the game, and it worked. That's all I can come up with," Rivers told ESPN.
There was another altercation after the game near the Warriors bench after Chris Paul tried to take the ball out of Bogut's hands and teammates of Bogut stepped in. Paul took responsibility after the game.
"I probably should have been cool, I tried to grab the ball afterwards, it was my fault," Paul said per ESPN. "That's my fault. I probably should have just walked off the court."
These teams play again in California on Jan. 30, and it remains to be seen if any bad blood will boil over.
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