Durant: 'Zaza is not a dirty player'
Kawhi Leonard doesn't believe Zaza Pachulia intentionally tried to injure him during Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, and neither does four-time scoring champion and Pachulia's teammate, Kevin Durant.
"Zaza is not a dirty player. You've gotta time that perfectly if you want to hurt somebody. We're not that type of team," Durant said following the Warriors' 113-111 victory to take a 1-0 series lead. "Kawhi is an unbelievable player. We've got nothing but respect for him. We wish that he gets healthy, but he (Pachulia) is just trying to contest a shot.
With Leonard in the air after attempting a jumper in the corner, Pachulia kept moving in on defense trying to contest the shot, only for Leonard to land awkwardly and cause more damage to his already ailing ankle.
Related: Kawhi's ankle injury drastically changed complexion of Game 1
Pachulia got reamed on social media for his actions, even needing to disable comments on his Instagram account as a result.
"You can't listen to people on Twitter. They're irrational," Durant added.
Durant dropped 34 points on 11-of-21 shooting for the Warriors, while Pachulia just missed out on a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes. Leonard had 26 points and eight boards before exiting midway through the third quarter.