The Wizards sat their starters the entire fourth quarter of last night’s 139-115 loss to the Warriors.
Golden State used its top players in the final period, long enough for Draymond Green to get a triple-double and Stephen Curry to surpass 40 points. Worth noting: Washington also cut the deficit to single digits with five minutes left and those two already in the game.
Still, the game was decided by the time JaVale McGee launched a 3-pointer with seven seconds left in the game and five seconds left on the shot clock.
So, Brandon Jennings pushed him, leading to a minor dustup.
Jennings, via J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic:
“It was very disrespectful. … Let the clock run out,” said Jennings, a 6-foot point guard. “It was already disrespectful that they were trying to get Draymond Green a triple-double, Steph (Curry) was out there with 40. I’m old school. He better be glad he shot that three and didn’t go to the rack.”
“It’s just a (unwritten) rule. I learned it when I first came into the league not to do it,” Jennings said. “You’re already up, what, 20? Then for him to do it it was like, ‘Come on. Chill out.'”
Whenever a team’s up like that, you’re supposed to just hold the ball, take a shot clock violation. What Brandon did, I don’t think it was dirty. I think it was the right play. You don’t let nobody try to embarrass you. I think that’s what they were trying to do.
I think any other team in the league would have did the same thing. That’s just like a basketball rule. You don’t shoot the ball, period. You take a turnover, if anything. Especially, you’re up 20 or however much you’re up. You’re not respecting the game. You’re just joking around, shooting – and a 3, at that. He had every right to foul him. That’s like a golden rule in basketball.
It’s definitely uncouth for a team winning big to shoot with the shot clock off in the fourth quarter. And it’s common for teams to take a shot-clock violation when in Golden State’s position.
But since when did it become so disrespectful to shoot with the shot clock still running? I have zero problem with that.
I do have a problem with teams trying to dictate how someone else blows them out. If the Wizards wanted to prevent Golden State from embarrassing them, they should have done something while the game was competitive. McGee’s 3-pointer was nothing compared to the Warriors’ earlier dominance.
If this brings the Wizards closer together, good for them, I guess. But they look far worse than Golden State here.
