Matthew Dellavedova clocks Andre Iguodala below the belt in Game 1
Well, gang, it took almost three quarters, but we finally got our first groin shot of the 2016 NBA Finals … and you’re not going to believe this, but Draymond Green was not involved!
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In the final minute of the third quarter of Thursday’s Game 1, Green stole the basketball from Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova. (OK, so he was involved a little.) Green’s teammate, Golden State Warriors supersub Andre Iguodala, pushed the ball ahead in transition, looking for a fast-break bucket that would extend Golden State’s lead before the close of the quarter. As he crossed the 3-point line, though, he stopped short, and Dellavedova’s attempt to reach in and swipe the ball caught … well … something else entirely.
We’re not sure if Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak appreciated the impromptu shoutout, but we are sure that Iguodala didn’t. He quickly whipped around to take exception to Dellavedova’s Southern Hemisphere how-do-you-do, but while tempers flared and multiple players got involved, the issue thankfully didn’t escalate beyond some jawing. Upon replay review, Dellavedova was assessed a common personal foul rather than a flagrant for unnecessary and/or excessive contact.
I’ve got a joke here, but so does Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr., so I’m going to let him tell it:
Nance wasn’t the only NBA player to react to Dellavedova’s shot as the replays aired:
(That last one’s my favorite.)
Podcast: The Warriors are unstoppable…or are they?:
As Diamong Leung of the Bay Area News Group reminds us, this isn’t the first tangle this season between Dellavedova and Iguodala. The two also locked horns during Golden State’s Christmas Day win at Oracle:
While Iguodala thought better of seeking vengeance by chucking the basketball at Dellavedova’s head, he did exact a measure of revenge on the ensuing Warriors possession, popping loose and knocking down a 3-pointer from nearly the same spot where he got popped in the giblets:
Iguodala’s long-ball extended Golden State’s lead to six with 26 seconds remaining in the third quarter. They’d run away with the game from there, opening the fourth with eight straight points from reserves Iguodala, Leandro Barbosa and Shaun Livingston to extend the lead to 12:
Cleveland would never get within single digits again, as the Warriors’ reserves steamrolled the Cavs in the final frame, running the lead to 20 en route to a 104-89 win that gives Golden State a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
While the Warriors hit the after-burners following the Dellavedova-Iguodala incident, LeBron James dismissed a post-game suggestion that the Cavs lost their way after the scuffle.
“No, we’re not a team that loses our composure over anything,” said James, who finished with 23 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, two steals and a block in 41 minutes in the loss. “We played well in the third quarter to get ourselves back into the game, even taking the lead a couple times. It was a six-point game to start the fourth, and we just didn’t start the quarter like we should have, and they did a great job of pushing the lead up to double digits really fast.”
After sliding into the starting lineup and playing a pivotal role in quieting superstar Kevin Durant during the Warriors’ victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals on Monday, Iguodala turned in another stellar performance, finishing with 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting, seven rebounds, six assists, one steal, one block and tremendous defense on both LeBron James and Kyrie Irving throughout his 36 minutes of work.
Dellavedova’s evening was quieter, as he chipped in two points on 1-for-3 shooting with one assist and one turnover in 11 minutes. Golden State outscored Cleveland by 21 points with Iguodala on the floor; the Cavs got outscored by 19 in Delly’s minutes.
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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