OAKLAND – Tuesday’s Western Conference Finals game between the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs was flat out boring. The Warriors never trailed, every single player on the roster scored, and the team handed Gregg Popovich the largest playoff loss of his career.
But, as is tradition, the internet found something to latch on and get aggressively angry about.
Late in the second quarter cameras showed an awkward LaMarcus Aldridge closeout on a Kevin Durant jumper. Warriors fans took offense to the play, and drew comparisons to the most controversial play of Game 1, when Kawhi Leonard injured himself after landing one of Zaza Pachulia’s feet.
Here's LaMarcus Aldridge closing out on a Kevin Durant 3….
go crazy, everybody. pic.twitter.com/w7TnHeGVDX
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) May 17, 2017
Kevin Durant was asked about the play after the game, and he was quick to defend Aldridge.
“Bigs are not used to being out on the perimeter and guarding guys on the perimeter,” Durant said. “So that whole thing is to kind of give you space so when you pull up, they just contest. That’s just part of the game. It’s been happening forever, since I’ve been in the league. I think bigs just try to contest shots and sometimes that stuff may happen, but it’s not on purpose at all.”
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