With a pair of star point guards still on the mend from their respective injuries, all eyes were on the battle between Kevin Durant and LeBron James on Christmas Day. The 2017 NBA Christmas Day game between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers was the game to watch and KD vs LeBron was the marquee matchup. But the end of the Warriors 99-92 win over the Cavs came with some controversy.
On a late drive to the rim by LeBron James it appears that Durant makes some contact with James as he goes to the rim. Nothing was called at the time by the referee crew.
So, one more time… foul or no foul on this late LeBron James drive on Kevin Durant? pic.twitter.com/0licmNwUmM
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) December 25, 2017
LeBron says Durant fouled him and Durant says there’s no way he could’ve fouled the 6’8″, 250 pound former MVP because he’s ‘too big for that’.
Following comes from Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
“He fouled me twice,” James said of his drive to the hoop with the Cavs down 95-92 when Durant blocked James’ shot and he lost it out of bounds. “But, whatever. What are you going to do about it?”
Cameras on ABC’s broadcast of Monday’s game showed Durant shrugging off the contact he made with James while officials reviewed the play to determine which team would retain possession with 24.5 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
“He’s too big,” Durant said. “He’s too big. He’s too big for that. He’s too big. That ain’t no foul.”
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A reporter told Durant that users on Twitter believed that the 2017 Finals MVP should have been whistled for a foul on the play but Durant, again, claimed his defense was legal.
“It felt clean,” he said. “It’s probably the same play a bunch of those dudes on Twitter probably arguing about at 24 Hour Fitness that that wasn’t a foul. They’ve been in that position before, but just not on Christmas at the Oracle Arena. So they know. … I’m sure if they get that call next week at 24 Hour Fitness, they’re going to be pissed that they called a foul. So keep that s— on Twitter.”
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“I lost it on the left wing,” James said. “He got me a little bit but I lost that one.”
