Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson took exception to the fact that Golden State Warriors guard Shaun Livingston took a long-range shot in the waning seconds of a 124-114 win in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena Thursday night.
Thompson closed out on Livingston, and from one angle, it looked as though an elbow went to the head/neck area of the Warriors guard. From another angle, it appeared there was no contact above the shoulders, and yet, it took only a few seconds for an official to immediately assess Thompson a flagrant-two foul, which comes with an automatic ejection.
“That’s a shot that shouldn’t be taken,” Thompson said following the loss.
“It’s like the unspoken rule in the NBA. If you’re up by like 10 or 11 with like 20 seconds to go, you don’t shoot that shot, but I just had to contest. Next thing I know, I’m getting thrown out for a good contest. We practice in training camp to contest every shot, so I don’t know why I got thrown out.”
PHOTOS: Cleveland Cavaliers battle Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of 2018 NBA Finals
According to Thompson, Livingston should have known better than to attempt the deep jumper.
“Shaun’s a smart player,” Thompson said. “He’s been in this league for a long time. I played with Shaun, so he knows. He knows, but he shot the shot. Maybe, he wanted to increase his points-per-game (average). I don’t know. That was some bull (expletive), but I just did a contest.”
Shortly after the ejection, Thompson was walking off the court and to the locker room, only to have a run-in with Warriors guard Stephen Curry and forward Draymond Green.
Words were followed by an exchange of shoves, and officials and players from both sides had to separate the two before Green was escorted to the bench, where he was admonished by Warriors coach Steve Kerr, and Thompson walked off to the locker room.
“I was just walking,” Thompson said. “He thought I didn’t hear him, but I heard him, so the rest is history.
“It’s the playoffs. I think every series, by the time you get to Game 3 or 4, you’re tired of the guys, but like you said, we’ve had issues with these guys, so I guess it starts with Game 1. That’s what the players should’ve felt, toughness, energy, grit. There’s only two teams left standing, so whoever wants to die and fight for that trophy is going to get it.”
As for the Cavaliers’ mindset heading into Sunday’s Game 2 matchup after having a late lead in regulation dissipate, Thompson believes the team will be more than ready to even up the best-of-seven series before The Finals shift back to Cleveland next week.
“Come out ready to play,” Thompson said. “My job is to bring the toughness, energy, so that’s what I do. That’s what my job is on this team.
“We had it right there. We had it right in our hands. Some things didn’t go our way, but at the end of the day, can’t live with the ifs. Just have to get it done.”
