It's not because Jason Kidd played for the Suns and the Mavericks that it's the cordial understanding between the two franchises. Since the 2022 playoffs, it's even been very hot. Kevin Durant was able to see this on Wednesday evening since the meeting was punctuated by several incidents, including one involving him in the first quarter. Sent to the ground by Grant Williams, “KD” saw the former Celtics winger get closer to him, to the point of stepping over him.
Durant obviously did not appreciate this provocation, and it was Jusuf Nurkic who played vigilante to repel Williams. The latter then attacked the same Nurkic, and the referees handed out three technical fouls. Later, Nurkic will provoke Williams after a basket near the circle. Williams complained about this provocation to the referees. Result: a second technical foul, synonymous with expulsion.
In total, the referees called six technical fouls during the match.
“I don’t think Grant Williams wanted to play basketball tonight” said Devin Bookerafter the Suns' victory. “He wanted to act stupid, while we were trying to make baskets… Kudos to Nurk for holding on.” If I had seen this, I would have done the same thing. This is how we calm down. We're not here to do stupid things. »
The media fuels this rivalry
Arriving this summer, Bradley Beal discovered this rivalry. “Honestly, you have to ask Booker, because I don’t know about this rivalry. There was a playoff atmosphere. It was high-level competition, with some bad shots, some trash talking… We did a good job of not letting ourselves be destabilized.”
But where does this rivalry really come from? “When teams have recently met in the playoffs, it adds to the atmosphere and everything that goes with it,” Booker believes. “The media does a good job of feeding this because they know it gets attention. It's good for basketball and it's good for the viewers. I, for one, have no personal issues with anyone from Dallas, or the fans, or anything else. »
