Today at 3:30 p.m. ET the No. 3 Los Angeles Clippers will kick off their first round matchup with the No. 6 Golden State Warriors, the trendy pick for an opening round upset. Watch the game on ABC, or live stream it free by clicking this link. Clippers fans can listen to the game on KFWB 980 AM, while Warriors fans can catch the radio broadcast on KNBR 680.
These two teams have clashed with ferocity this year, and the shots have already been fired from Golden State. Shooting guard Klay Thompson, perhaps in an effort to draw officials' attention, blatantly called Clips forward Blake Griffin a flopper.
"He is a good guy off the court but he probably just ... I mean ... plays pretty physical and flops a little bit.
"He flairs his arm around so you know you might catch a random elbow or something that doesn't you know rub off too well on guys," Thompson said. "He's kind of like a bull in a china shop, kind of out of control sometimes. And then you do just see him flop sometimes like how can a guy that big and strong flop that much. I can see how that gets under people's skin and be frustrating to play against."
Griffin also set a career high for points per game with 24.1 this season, and increased his role as a team leader when Chris Paul missed a chunk of time. He is letting the rivalry roll off his shoulders, letting that show when asked about Golden State center Jermaine O'Neal, with whom Blake scuffled in March.
"I don't have Jermaine's number so I don't really talk to him," Griffin said Friday. "I don't know if there's a lingering issue or not." Fellow forward Matt Barnes wasn't so quick to dismiss potential issues and expected "some hostility and animosity and hatred."
Warriors star Stephen Curry also thinks there's no way to avoid some kind of extra-curriculars. "It'll be an entertaining series just because how the regular season went," Curry said. "You've got to be prepared for anything."
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