Getty Warriors stars Klay Thompson and Draymond Green guard Lakers' Dennis Schroder
Draymond Green had strong words for Dennis Schroder after the Los Angeles Lakers bounced the Golden State Warriors from the playoffs.
After Schroder paid respect to Green on Instagram, the Warriors forward returned the favor.
Draymond Green tells Dennis Schroder to finish the job 🏆
Schroder was ejected in Game 6 versus the Warriors after Green put the ball in his face and the Lakers guard kept talking trash. It was Schroder’s second technical of the game and most people thought Green and Schroder had beef. However, it’s clear that the two players have high admiration for each other and were just competing at the highest level.
The Lakers beat the Warriors in six games in the conference semifinals to advance to the conference finals. Los Angeles will face the Denver Nuggets in a rematch of the 2020 Western Conference Finals.
Schroder averaged 10.3 points and 3.0 assists in the Warriors series while shooting 43.8% from the field, 35.3% from beyond the arc and 77.8% from the free-throw line. The veteran guard scored 19 points in Game 1 and played excellent defense in the six-game series.
The Lakers Are Ready for the Nuggets
LeBron James said after Game 6 of the Warriors series that the Lakers would be ready for the Nuggets, who are the N0. 1 seed in the West.
“It’s gonna be a great series,” James said. “You got two well-coached teams. They’ve been the No. 1 seed in the West all year long. So we give them a lot of respect. We come in with that series with a lot of respect for Denver and what they can accomplish and what they can do against us. And if we’re not locked in, they’ll put it to us. … We understand what they possess. I know what they possess and we’ll be ready for it on Tuesday.”
The Lakers defeated the Nuggets in the 2020 Western Conference Finals in five games at the Walt Disney World bubble. However, Los Angeles and Denver are two different teams now. Nikola Jokic is a two-time MVP with a stellar supporting cast, while James and Anthony Davis are the only players left from the 2020 title team.
The Nuggets and Lakers played four times in the regular season. Each team won two games.
Stephen Curry on LeBron James: ‘He Brings the Best out of You’
During his postgame media session after Game 6, Warriors point guard Stephen Curry was asked by Malika Andrews of ESPN to speak about his basketball rivalry with James. Curry said James “brings the best out of you.”
“I mean, it’s just a battle every time,” Curry said. “And I know there are a lot of different narratives within each of the series that we’ve had and different teams and teammates and all the above. But it’s just great basketball, great competition. Understanding who LeBron is and who he’s been his entire career and the accolades and the championships he’s won and the records that he has. Like, he’s an amazing basketball player. And he brings the best out of you and you know you have to be your best if you’re gonna try and beat him. And I think he feels vice versa.
“And so you love those experiences. Somebody’s gotta win and it’s part of the nature of what we’re dealing with. But there’s so much respect. And again, appreciation for the battles and experiences and the back and forths cuz it’s basketball at the highest level and that’s all you can ask for.”
James has faced Curry four times in the NBA Finals and now once in the conference semifinals. Curry is 3-1 versus James in the Finals.