OAKLAND – The Golden State Warriors have a chance to close out the L.A. Clippers in Wednesday night's Game 5. A chance to eliminate their longtime rivals is something the Warriors likely won't take lightly. One player who likely won't take this Game 5 as just another game is Golden State center Kevon Looney.
The fourth-year center is playing a significant role in this series with DeMarcus Cousins now likely lost for the postseason. Through four games, Looney is averaging 9.3 points and 4.5 rebounds on 79 percent shooting from the field. He's been a solid interior defender and really made his impact felt on the boards against the undersized Clippers.
Ahead of Game 5, Looney opened up about the longtime rivalry between the Clippers and Warriors.
“Coming in my rookie year, you could definitely tell it was a rivalry between the Clippers and the Warriors,” said Looney, who played his rookie year in the 2015-16 season. “It seemed like they hated each other and as a rookie coming in, I didn’t understand why. I didn’t really watch that much, so I didn’t know what the rivalry was about.”
The Clippers, Warriors, and each team's respective fanbases had a history of disliking each other since the 2014 playoffs. Their physical, heated seven-game series concluded in dramatic fashion with the Clippers taking Game 7, 126-121.
Later that year, Christmas Day 2014 would be the Clippers' last victory against the Warriors for the next three years. That run ended when Lou Williams dropped 50 points and seven assists on the road for the win. Looney came into the league for the 2015-16 season, so he wasn't around for the original rivalry. He did, however, mention the rule the Warriors had since before he even arrived.
“I know when I first came in, that was the number one rules: ‘We don’t lose to the Clippers,'” said Looney. “I've seen a lot of great games from Steph and Klay versus them.”
While fans still go at it, it's unlikely the teams still have that level of dislike for one another. The players who were on the Clippers roster the last time the two met in the playoffs is no more. The lone person who remains is head coach Doc Rivers.
Game 5 between the Clippers and Warriors will tip off at 7:30 PM PST on TNT. L.A. will look to stave off elimination while the Warriors look to advance to the second round.
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