The LA Clippers and Phoenix Suns have played twice this season, and there were contentious moments that resulted in technical errors, blatant errors, ejections and lots of “chirps”.
After Paul George scored 33 points to help the Clippers take a 113-103 victory over the Suns at Staples Center in a game that had a playoff feel, the Clippers’ All-Star guard took notice for the second time. season on how the Suns “chirp” a lot.
George added this time that he did not care about the suns (36-15).
“We focused on us,” George said when asked about the Suns. ‘I don’t know what that chirping is about. We focused on ourselves. I don’t care what they do there. I don’t care who they are or what they do.
‘I’m locked up. They can do the chirping, I’ll let them have it tonight. I just stayed in my zone, stayed in my place, I don’t know … I don’t care what they are We’re focused on us here. We are focused on getting better. Tonight was a fun game and we appreciate the challenge. “
The Clippers (35-18) won their third game in a row by eliminating the Suns for the second time this season. And again there was extracurricular activity between both Western contenders.
Suns All-Star Devin Booker had a technical foul and a glaring foul on Kawhi Leonard’s drive to the basket. Clipper point guard Patrick Beverley was sent off in the fourth quarter for having committed a harsh foul while trying to keep Chris Paul from leaving during a break with a forearm shiver that broke his stride. And Marcus Morris Sr. from LA was sent off late in the game after incurring his second technical foul in less than three minutes.
“I’m not worried,” said Clippers coach Ty Lue on Thursday about the disagreement between the two teams. “I love it. If you compete at a high level against one of the best teams in the league, do what you’re going to do to win. And I thought our boys were physical. We competed, we fought.”
“There will be games like this where it will be chippy,” added Lue. “They’re fighting for something, we’re fighting for something, so it’s going to happen and I’m fine with it.”
New Clipper Rajon Rondo said the Suns started back and forth. The veteran had his best game with his new team with 15 points and nine assists.
“I love to chat a bit, and they actually started it in the first half,” said Rondo. “So besides that, I was just trying to play the game, but sometimes there’s a little chatter.”
During the Clippers 112-107 victory in Phoenix on January 3 in the first meeting of the season between the two teams, George had 39 points, but also exchanged words with Booker and Paul, leading to technical errors in the fourth quarter between Booker and George.
After that game, George said the Suns talked shit to him.
“For whatever reason, there’s a lot of chirping,” George said after the game. “And people who just live in the past.”