Getty LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Golden State Warriors are facing elimination for the second game in a row, but that hasn’t stopped them from having a bit of fun at the competition’s expense.
One of the bigger and sillier subplots of a competitive series that has renewed the historic postseason rival between the Dubs and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has been a back-and-forth discussion of flopping and fouling, sussed out in front of media microphones as both sides jockey for position and perception in the minds of NBA referees.
JaMychal Green via Instagram. 👀👀👀👀
The most recent shot was fired by Warriors forward JaMychal Green via Instagram on Thursday, May 11, one day before a Game 6 showdown in Los Angeles. Green posted a doctored photo of James to indicate that the Lakers star may have been less than honest during an interview on the topic of flopping following Game 5, during which James said the following:
“We’re just not a team that goes out there looking for flopping opportunities. That’s just not us. It never has been. There’s actually never been any teams that I’ve played on in my 20 years where we’ve been a flopping team,” James said. “But it is what it is. They have their right to say what they want to say.”
JaMychal Green, LeBron James Escalate Existing Argument Over Foul Calls
GettyGolden State Warriors forward JaMychal Green celebrates during an NBA game against the Toronto Raptors.
James was echoing comments from Lakers head coach Darvin Ham, who spoke during Wednesday’s Game 5 to the flopping accusations coming from the Dubs’ bench.
“We don’t teach flopping,” Ham said during an in-game interview with Chris Haynes of TNT between the first and second quarters.
Ham’s remark was in response to a statement from Golden State head coach Steve Kerr following the Warriors’ narrow loss to the Lakers in Game 4 on Monday.
“I think we had three or four illegal screens called, and that was disappointing. I didn’t get a look at the replay on any of them, but there were a couple that were very disappointing just live,” Kerr said. “The Lakers — they’re a team that plays with a lot of gamesmanship. They understand how to generate some calls.”
“I thought they took some flops and were rewarded, but I’ll have to see the replays,” Kerr added. “Maybe I’m wrong, maybe those were all illegal screens, but [it] didn’t feel like it watching it.”
Warriors, Lakers Bidding For Western Conference Finals Berth Against Nuggets
GettyLeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers (left) and Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors (right).
In the end, all the jawing between members of both benches is about getting the upper hand in the whistle department for Friday night’s Game 6 showdown.
The Denver Nuggets blew out the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of that series on Thursday to secure their spot in the Western Conference Finals. The Nuggets will have home court advantage regardless of which opponent they face.
Foul calls and the resulting free throw numbers have played major roles in the outcome of the five matchups between the Warriors and Lakers to this point, and figure to factor in significantly once again on Friday.
The Lakers were 3-point favorites to capture the series at home as of three hours before tip off, which is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. Western Standard Time.