The verbal sparring was so entertaining in the rivalry between the Clippers and Golden State Warriors that one truth had been obscured.
The best retort will always come on the court.
The Clippers spoke with their intensity and execution Tuesday night at Staples Center, albeit in a preseason game against a severely short-handed opponent.
Blake Griffin and Chris Paul were super feisty throughout the Clippers' 130-95 victory over the Warriors, playing as if the game had far more meaning than an exhibition between teams that had not faced each other in nearly seven months.
Griffin scored 23 of his 29 points in the first half and Paul provided a response to NBA general managers who no longer consider him the league's best point guard by collecting 10 assists to go with seven points before being ejected early in the third quarter after picking up a second technical foul.