The Warriors avoided elimination on Thursday night, forcing a Game 7 in Los Angeles against the Clippers with a 100-99 win. After already losing Andrew Bogut before the playoffs tipped off, Dubs backup center Jermaine O’Neal sprained his right knee after what O’Neal called “Just a dirty play” involving the Clippers’ Glen Davis.
The play in question went down early in the second session of last night’s Game 6 when O’Neal snagged a rebound and threw an outlet pass before Davis’s 300-plus pound frame plowed into his knee. Jermaine wasn’t exactly diplomatic when he was asked about the play after the game.
By way of CSN Bay Area:
“I looked at it as just a dirty play,” he said.
“I’m not going to go try to dive into somebody’s legs,” O’Neal continued. “It wasn’t a scramble for the ball. I respect people’s ability to come out and perform and take care of their family, based on their bodies.
“Either he has terrible balance as a pro athlete, or that was a dirty play.”
[…]
His head was down,” O’Neal said. “Even if you’re diving for something, you’ve got to see what you’re diving for. But, you know, God don’t like ugly.”
Here’s the play, so you can judge for yourself:
O’Neal’s status for Game 7 at 10:30 p.m. ET on TNT this Saturday is still unclear until after an MRI, but the veteran center was clear that only an ACL injury or an act of God would prevent him from having “a conversation” with Davis during Game 7.
“Anything short of God coming back for the rapture or an ACL,” he said, “I’m going to play in Game 7.”
If the third Game 7 scheduled for Saturday didn’t already have you amped up, then the roiling anger from O’Neal should to keep you awake for what is sure to be a rumble at Staples as both teams look to survive their first-round slug-fest.
(Via CSN Bay Area)
Was the Davis hit a “dirty play?”
Follow Spencer on Twitter at @SpencerTyrel.
Follow Dime on Twitter at @DimeMag.
Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.
