Warriors' Kevin Durant and Draymond Green exchange heated words for nearly 3 straight minutes in OT loss to Clippers
- The Golden State Warriors trailed the Los Angeles Clippers throughout their Monday night contest but managed to tie the game late in the fourth quarter.
- With just seconds remaining on the clock, Draymond Green collected a rebound and dribbled his way into a turnover.
- Kevin Durant called for the ball throughout the drive and angrily told Green to "give me the ball" when they returned to the bench.
- The duo jawed off for the remainder of the break and wound up losing in overtime.
It's not all sunshine and rainbows in Golden State.
In their Monday night contest, the Warriors trailed the Los Angeles Clippers through the first three quarters but managed to mount a comeback thanks to a 13-point fourth-quarter showing from Klay Thompson.
With just seconds remaining on the clock, Golden State even had a chance to pull ahead and seal the win. Draymond Green collected a rebound and pushed his way up the floor. Kevin Durant called for the ball, clapping his hands and jumping up and down as Green dribbled into traffic and had the ball stripped away.
Durant immediately pivoted towards the bench and clapped his hands in frustration. When he sat down, he turned in Green's direction and appeared to shout "Give me the ball. God damn!"
Green - who is notoriously outspoken both on and off the court - yelled back at his teammate for the remainder of the break while Durant looked away and nodded his head dismissively. At a certain point, Thompson noticed the two jawing off and decided to sit between them on the bench.
Check out the full video of the heated exchange, which lasted for nearly three straight minutes:
The Warriors went on to lose 121-116 in overtime. Durant fouled out of the game on a controversial call with 3:46 left in overtime. Neither he nor Green were available to speak to the media after the game, with Durant storming out of the locker room before reporters even arrived.
Teammate Shaun Livingston cast off the incident as expressions of "team spirit":
"Guys wanted a different outcome than what happened," Livingston said after the game, per ESPN's Nick Friedell. "Obviously, [Green] had the turnover, guys might have thought they were open or wanted the basketball, didn't get it. Things happen like that in sports. But it was good to see some fire, some emotion."
This was far from the first time Durant and Green have clashed publicly. In January 2017, Golden State blew a 24-point lead against the Memphis Grizzlies and Green got in Durant's face on the court.
A month later, the duo fought courtside after the Warriors lost to the Sacramento Kings. When a journalist asked about the altercation a few days later, Durant laughed and explained what had happened:
With Durant on the verge of free agency, much will be made of the scuffle. But before he can even think ahead to the summer, Durant will look to get Golden State back on track after losing two of its last three games.