Giving the tension leading up to the second meeting between the Golden State Warriors and the Milwaukee Bucks, you had to suspect there would be some tension on the court Friday night.
The Bucks, who handed the Warriors their only defeat of the season six days earlier, were given a warning by Golden State players during the week about the rematch in Oakland, and Golden State backed it up, though not without resistance. The Warriors outscored the Bucks 36-19 in the fourth quarter to pick up a 121-112 win and a measure of revenge.
After the game, Draymond Green and O.J. Mayo got into a minor physical altercation before going their separate ways. That was about as much tension as there would be Friday night, but for anyone who felt that the Warriors would wipe out the 10-17 (now 10-18) Bucks by 25 to 35 points, the fact that this game was still tense and close in the final minutes — enabling emotions to spill out — represented a surprise.
Green and Mayo engaged in a strong exchange of words but moved along without much incident. As the two separated, Green was shoved in the back.
“I’m not really into talking about what guys say. What you think he said he may not have said or he may have said,” Green said afterward, according to ESPN. “Just, ain’t no man going to touch my head. I’m a grown man. That’s all I’ve got for you.”
Earlier in the week, Green had commented on how Milwaukee guard Michael Carter-Williams seemed to do some trash talking in the direction of the Golden State bench in the previous meeting, which resulted in a Bucks win. Carter-Williams stared down the Golden State bench in a gesture that did not rub Golden State, the defending NBA champions, in a good way. Green commented on the lack of class shown by Carter-Williams and the Bucks last Saturday in Milwaukee, which fueled the fire for Golden State as it prepared to avenge its only loss of the season.
Is Golden State-Milwaukee the next great rivalry in the NBA? Nah, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a little tension from time to time. The Bucks have certainly made the Warriors’ season more interesting, precisely when Golden State is a ratings magnet for the NBA.
The question becomes: Can any other team become as much of a pest to the Warriors as the Bucks proved to be in the now-concluded season series between the two clubs?