Martin Luther King day in the NBA is no ordinary day, to say the least. It has been a tradition for the NBA to showcase elite teams during this special time. They were able to deliver again yesterday but there were two games that stand out.
Warriors destroyed Cavaliers again
Arguably the most anticipated game of the day, the finals rematch between Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors. The last time these two teams met, they provided us with a glimpse of what could be the 2018 NBA Finals. A lot has changed on both teams especially on the Cleveland Cavaliers side.
Cavs have decided to have a major overhaul of their roster including trading their starting point guard, Kyrie Irving. In return, they received Jae Crowder and Isaiah Thomas. Dwyane Wade and Jeff Green also joined the team to lead their bench. Unfortunately, those were still not enough as the defending champions destroyed them again on their home court.
The ball movement of the Golden State Warriors was a thing of beauty. Four players scored in double figures with solid shooting from their backcourt. As expected, Kevin Durant and LeBron James went up against each other. Both of them had 32 points, however, the winner in this duel is Kevin Durant. Not only his team won, he also showed poise and calmness when the game is at its peak.
Rivalry in the making
After 6 years with the Clippers, Chris Paul made his homecoming and it was surreal. His former team even provided him with a tribute video to show their gratitude towards their former franchise player. But as soon as the game started, it was evident that both teams want to prove something. Chris Paul is one of the feistiest competitors in the League and it showed during this game.
The multiple All Star attacked his former team right from the start. On the other hand, Blake Griffin showed that he can carry the franchise without CP3. There were a couple of possessions when Griffin and Paul traded verbal jabs with each other. Eventually, it led to a confrontation which led to numerous technical fouls called.
With 1 minute left on the clock, everybody thought the game was over. Until Austin Rivers made a comment that angered Trevor Ariza. The two players kept on chirping and Blake Griffin came to the rescue of his teammate, Austin Rivers. Blake Griffin was ejected for the Clippers and same goes for Trevor Ariza for Houston Rockets. The skirmish didn’t end there as numerous reports stated that some Rockets players, led by CP3, stormed the Clippers dugout.
The NBA doesn’t regulate this kind of behaviour but if you are a fan of the old League, then this is the game to watch for. The bad blood between the players is so intense that even tossing them out of the game couldn’t stop them. The latest report states that CP3 is being investigated as he was the one who led the Rockets team through the Clippers dugout.
