OAKLAND, Calif. -- Multiple Golden State Warriors players told ESPN they were disturbed by Kendrick Perkins' reluctance to move his knees and feet as Stephen Curry backed into the Cleveland Cavaliers big man at the end of the third quarter, resulting in a verbal confrontation between the two.
Some Warriors believe it was a dangerous play by Perkins and told ESPN that was the reason the 6-foot-3 guard confronted the 6-foot-10 center, resulting in the two standing face-to-face and exchanging words in front of the Cavaliers bench before being separated.
The fear was Curry could have sprained an ankle or suffered a knee injury. The incident occurred when Curry tossed up a wild shot in an attempt to beat the buzzer and his momentum carried him backward.
Perkins, who is inactive, never moved his knees, legs or feet, and the back of Curry's right leg bumped into him.
When approached with this information, Curry told ESPN: "I'm not going to get into it. No comment."
Perkins could not be reached for comment.
In the fourth quarter, Curry erupted for 16 of his game-high 33 points and was a perfect 5-of-5 from beyond the arc in the eight minutes he played.
"He went off after that [altercation]," Draymond Green told ESPN.
Golden State leads the NBA Finals 2-0. Game 3 will be Wednesday in Cleveland.
