The past week has been wild with lots of intense games and tempers that have flared. In the past, players have expressed disdain for bad calls and have beef with other players.
In this season, these situations have reached a pinnacle. There have been more fights, more ejections and more technicals than any other season in recent memory. There’s nothing more exciting than watching two guys who hate each other compete.
As outspoken NBA veteran Matt Barnes once said, “Violence isn’t the answer, but sometimes it is.”
Here is the guide to all the best beef so far this season
Draymond Green vs. Bradley Beal
In a game on Oct. 27, Beal drove to the basket and had his shot blocked by Green. Beal hit Green in the back of the head and wrapped his arms around Green’s hands.
Their scuffle migrated from outside the lane to underneath the basket, where they both ended up on the ground surrounded by players on both teams.
Both were ejected and fined heavily. Markieff Morris and Carrick Felix were both suspended one game as well for leaving their bench.
Kris Dunn vs. Khris Middleton
At the end of the fourth quarter with 20 seconds left in the game and the outcome decided, Dunn threw Middleton down after he physically gained position in the post. Both teams and referees had to separate the two. Both players were ejected.
Rodney Hood vs. refs and fan
After Hood was ejected from a game for arguing with refs, his frustration reached a peak as he was walking past his bench towards the locker room. A courtside fan was recording him walking out, and Hood slapped the phone out of the fan’s hand. He was fined $35,000 for the incident.
Arron Afflalo vs. Nemanja Bjelica
In a recent game, Afflalo and Bjelica began pushing each other violently while getting ready for a rebound. Afflalo swung straight for Bjelica’s head, missed and was put in a head lock. Afflalo was suspended two games and ejected for fighting.
Ben Simmons vs. Kyle Lowry
With six seconds left in the game, Simmons visibly bumped a few members of the Raptors on edge. Lowry took the bump from Simmons personal, and both were ejected for yelling at each other.
Simmons told Lowry to meet him in the hallway and was looking to fight. Lowry later said this at a press conference.
“Put it this way: I was back there.”
It’s safe to say these guys don’t like each other.
Enes Kanter Vs. Lebron James
In a game in New York, James pushed and unnecessarily got in the way of rookie Frank Ntilikina, and Ntilikina pushed James.
Kanter, being the instigator that he is, immediately rushed to help his rookie and got in LeBron’s face.
James Johnson vs. Serge Ibaka
In the third quarter of a recent game, Johnson was guarding Ibaka while the ball was being inbounded from the baseline. While the two began pushing each other, Johnson threw a punch at Ibaka’s head, and Ibaka reciprocated. Both were separated by a referee, and both were ejected.
James Harden vs. Mario Chalmers
With two minutes left in a tied game, Harden hit Chalmers with a very hard screen and knocked him to the ground. Chalmers began kicking at Harden’s ankles from the ground. Harden retaliated by pushing Chalmers, and both players were pulled apart before either could throw punches and escalate the scuffle.
LaMarcus Aldridge vs. Serge Ibaka
Aldridge and Ibaka have had a long-term beef. Three years ago, they got into a fight and have a tendency to be very chippy against each other. They once again expressed their disdain for each other.
Ibaka was seen pushing Aldridge under the hoop contesting for a rebound, and they both got into each other’s faces before getting separated by teammates. These veterans have bad blood between them.
Khris Middleton Vs. Steven Adams
By Steven Adams physical stature, he isn’t a man you want to get into a fight with, even for NBA players. In a game in October, Adams and Middleton seemed to get a bit chippy underneath the basket. Adams ended up with the ball in his hands after a bucket and handed it to Middleton, who threw the ball with force at Adams. Both players were pulled apart from each other and given technicals, but no ejections.
Kevin Durant vs. DeMarcus Cousins
In a game in December, both Durant and Cousins began bumping each other before an inbound pass. Things got escalated, and both players were issued technicals. Then both had to get separated from each other.
Both players were ejected. However, Cousins wasn’t done with Durant, as he tried to confront Durant on the way to the locker rooms. It will be interesting to see how the former Team USA teammates interact at the upcoming All-Star game.
Blake Griffin Vs. Chris Paul, Trevor Ariza vs. Austin Rivers, Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Clippers
This scuffle has everything you could want with lots of former teammates involved. Blake Griffin and the Clippers got the best of the Houston Rockets on the court, but what happened away from the game is what sparked everyone’s interest.
During the game, there were lots of words exchanged between players and coaches, and tensions boiled over in the end of the game and after, with the Rockets very angry with some of the Clippers players.
After the game, Trevor Ariza, Gerald Green, James Harden and Chris Paul reportedly went into the Clippers locker room through a secret back door that Paul knew of to confront Austin Rivers. Things got so out of hand, Los Angeles Police was called to de-escalate They even sent Clint Capela to the front door as a way of getting around security.
While some of the details are unclear, Ariza and Green were both suspended two games. Griffin was ejected in the end of the fourth quarter.
Kevin Durant vs. Russell Westbrook
Probably the best beef on this list, the former teammates have quite a bitter rivalry after Durant left the Thunder for the Warriors.
Westbrook has been known for taking numerous petty shots at Durant since his departure. As two of the top 10 players in the NBA, there were lots of moments these two matched up against each other in their meeting in November at Oklahoma City.
The two continued to jaw at each other, with Westbrook being the main instigator, which escalated when Westbrook knocked the ball out of bounds from Durant when he was driving to the hoop. Westbrook and Durant headbutted each other and definitely exchanged some words. Battles between these two are must-watch games.
Featured image by ABC News
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