I Couldn't Possibly Care Less That LaMarcus Aldridge Had A Similarly Dangerous Closeout On Kevin Durant

Here's LaMarcus Aldridge closing out on a Kevin Durant 3....

go crazy, everybody. pic.twitter.com/w7TnHeGVDX

— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) May 17, 2017

I can't do it. I simply cannot do it, and I won't let the internet guilt me into doing it. Despite LaMarcus Aldridge closing out in...well...ZaZa-esque fashion, I won't be intimidated into making as big of a deal of it as I did the play that ultimately made the rest of this series a snooze-fest.

Yes, it was just as dirty. The ridiculously similar extra shuffle towards the landing spot of the shooter was just as dangerous and just as unnecessary. Unfortunately, I have bad news for those that are patting themselves on the back because they have timely, visual evidence to point to when discussing the frequency with which this type of tomfoolery takes place. Results matter and this closeout didn't result in a boring, non-competitive Western Conference Final between two teams that we've been patiently waiting to see matchup come playoff time. Reputation matters and ZaZa Pachulia's is that of a relatively talentless goon who commonly crosses the line. 

Warriors' fans can likely be heard screaming "Ha! See!" from the mountain top they decided to scale when Steph Curry started hitting 3-pointers from well beyond it, and I would probably do the same if I were them. That doesn't mean I - or anyone else - should be anywhere near as pissed about a risky scenario that ended up being nothing more than a harmless blip on the radar during a blowout. I don't even care if it's hypocritical to look at LaMarcus Aldridge's questionable defensive effort and shrug, because LaMarcus Aldridge's questionable defensive effort didn't sideline the best two way player in the league and severely cripple the odds of the underdog. 

P.S. Also, on a more sadistic note, I think everyone that's being honest with themselves (and not wearing a 10 month old Durant jersey) is hoping that something bad happens to Golden State. I don't root for injuries, but I'll be damned if an ankle for an ankle doesn't seem justified at this point.