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The Clippers dismantled the Warriors in some hearty preseason action Tuesday, but the just-for-fun game was no laughing matter for Warriors guard and former Clipper great, Shaun Livingston.
In a game where the Clippers tallied a whopping five technical fouls and saw Chris Paul get thrown out after receiving two techs, Livingston surmises all that chatting wasn't necessary.
"They were out there talking. If they want to talk, we want to talk," Livingston said postgame. "We’re not going to just back down. They’re up 20 and talking, up 30 and still talking. It is what is. It’s the game. But just play the game. That’s all."
He also had some specific words for Blake Griffin, who was frankly too big of a meanie for a preseason game, in Livingston's eyes.
"He’s going with all these antics; just play," Livingston said. "He’s out here wrapping me up, putting elbows to my forehead...I’ve got 12 years in this thing, and you’re out here trying to throw elbows at me and wrap me up and do all that. That makes no sense to me. Just play and you don’t have to do all of that. You’re big enough and strong enough that you can just box me out without doing all of that."
Livingston is one of the league's known nice guys, but former first round pick of the Clippers isn't above holding a grudge against his old team. He said that he anticipates being "in the foxhole" for the Clippers and Warriors first regular season matchup on Nov. 4 in Oakland.
"It’s going to be everything that it’s built up to be, as far as the energy," he said. "Now we know that it’s put up or shut up."
We'll take the put up and leave the shut up, please.