Things got chippy towards the end of the Philadelphia 76ers’ comeback victory over the Detroit Pistons on Friday, with questionable calls and hot tempers paving the way for an altercation between All-Stars Jimmy Butler and Blake Griffin:
Blake Griffin and Jimmy Butler got a little chippy tonight ? pic.twitter.com/qm9BbqdS0i
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) December 8, 2018
Butler recently made a guest appearance on The JJ Redick Podcast following the Sixers’ victories over the Pistons on both Friday and Monday. When talking about going head-to-head with Detroit’s All-Star forward, he had some strong words to describe the matchup – one he considers a mismatch:
“Locked that up. Blake can’t score on me. I don’t care what you say. You heard that, Blake. Ain’t worried about you.”
Butler, a four-time All-Defensive selection, is one of the most stout defenders in the league and has continued his All-Star play since being traded from Minnesota to Philadelphia, averaging 19.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 steals in 13 games for his new team. Griffin, meanwhile, is having arguably the most successful season of his career in his first full go-round in Detroit, averaging 25.6 points, 9.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.
Both Detroit and Philadelphia are in the heat of the Eastern Conference playoff race, although Detroit has taken a steep plunge in performance over the last week. However, a first-round playoff matchup between the Pistons and Sixers would not be surprising – considering the current standings – and a pair of All-Star matchups between Griffin and Butler and centers Andre Drummond and Joel Embiid would be very enticing. Philadelphia has already won the regular season series against Detroit, capturing three of the four matchups.
