© Thomas Shea | 2019 May 10
Chris Paul, man.
The Rockets point guard is known for his…uh…gamesmanship, a quality that was on display throughout the Western Conference Semifinals. Game 6 was no exception.
Really glad they didn’t call a foul on Steph Curry for this Chris Paul flop, but Curry has to make this layup pic.twitter.com/RL9FT9VrQ2
— Drew Shiller (@DrewShiller) May 11, 2019
This is an absolutely HILARIOUS offensive flop by Chris Paul pic.twitter.com/KQp1TuiD9b
— Bailey Carlin (@BaileyCarlin) May 11, 2019
A great representation of the series. Splash Brother coming up clutch and CP flopping like a psycho. pic.twitter.com/iHxGjIu9LB
— Shayna Rubin (@ShaynaRubin) May 11, 2019
That gamesmanship also took place before Friday’s game, as reveled in Marcus Thompson’s excellent postgame column in The Athletic. After Golden State’s shocking win, Stephen Curry stood outside the visitor’s locker room at the Toyota Center and screamed at teammate Draymond Green, “Kick me off the court again, boy!”
The feeling around this Warriors team right now is almost like they just won a title. They were up against it, & they knew it. One of the best wins of their entire run. pic.twitter.com/z61lwq1BTB
— Reid Forgrave (@ReidForgrave) May 11, 2019
What on earth could that be in reference to? Via Thompson:
On the night before Friday’s Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals, after arriving from the Bay Area, Curry wanted to get some shots up at Toyota Center. The Warriors’ do-it-all manager, Eric Housen, booked the court from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. so Curry could work on his shot. Somehow, Rockets guard Chris Paul got wind. He decided to go to Toyota Center to get shots up, nixing Curry’s reservations. The Warriors’ point guard offered to stick to half a court, but Paul wasn’t having it. Curry was kicked off the Toyota Center court.
Hence: “Kick me off the court again, boy!” And Green replied to Curry’s taunt by screaming, “Kick him off! Kick him off!”
Unfortunately for the Rockets, Paul couldn’t kick Curry off the floor in Game 6. The two-time MVP had an all-time performance, scoring 23 points in the fourth quarter to help bury Houston, and advance the Warriors to the Western Conference Finals.