Warriors edge Clippers in scrappy game, 105-103

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Both sides refuse to call it a rivalry.

Call it whatever you want: The Warriors and Clippers don't like each other.

They played nicely for three quarters in the NBA's Christmas nightcap and then generally mauled each other in between crunch-time heroics during the final period of the Warriors' 105-103 victory in front of the 52nd consecutive sellout crowd at Oracle Arena.

"It was a tough, hard-fought game, but I still believe it's not a rivalry, because neither one of us has done anything," Warriors head coach Mark Jackson said. "It's just two teams playing with an edge and competing against one another."

Clippers head coach Doc Rivers had a much different take after his team led by as many as 13 points and did not trail in the first half.

"I don't think it was us tonight, honestly," Rivers said. "I think we were kicking their butts, and they went to something else."

Draymond Green and Blake Griffin were involved in a dustup as they headed to their respective benches between the third and fourth quarters. Griffin was called for a technical foul, and Green was ejected with a flagrant foul-2.

Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin, left, fights with Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut, right, as Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) and Darren Collison (2) look on during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2013, in Oakland, Calif. Blake Griffin was ejected from the game. Warriors won 105-103.(AP Photo/Tony Avelar) less Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin, left, fights with Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut, right, as Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) and Darren Collison (2) look on during the ... more Photo: Tony Avelar, Associated Press Photo: Tony Avelar, Associated Press Image 1 of / 10 Caption Close Warriors edge Clippers in scrappy game, 105-103 1 / 10 Back to Gallery

Two minutes, 17 seconds into the fourth quarter, Griffin got tangled with Andrew Bogut near the basket. Griffin was ejected for his second technical, and Bogut picked up a technical to go with a flagrant foul-1.

"When you look at it, I didn't do anything, and I got thrown out of the game," said Griffin, who finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds. "To me, it's cowardly basketball."

The teams eventually got back to basketball - for the most part.

Chris Paul and Stephen Curry went back and forth for a highly entertaining minute and a half. Curry gave the Warriors 101-99 and 103-101 leads, but Paul answered each time. He had a layup that tied it 101-101 and two free throws to make it 103-103 with 1:36 left.

Harrison Barnes (14 points) got into the act with 1:09 on the clock, swishing a two free throws to put the Warriors ahead 105-103, but Andre Iguodala failed to seal the victory when he missed both foul shots with 9.3 seconds left. Klay Thompson blocked Paul's layup attempt with one second left, and then Thompson contested Jamal Crawford's missed three-point try at the buzzer.

Bogut ripped the ball out of Paul's hands after the game, leading to one more bit of barking between the teams as they headed to their postgame locker rooms. They play again in Oakland on Jan. 30 and in Los Angeles on March 12.

"We like them. Merry Christmas," Jackson joked. "It's just physical basketball, so we don't get caught up in that. ... It's good, old-fashioned basketball between two teams that are playing for something."

The Clippers (20-10) had won a conference-leading 82.4 percent of their games against other teams from the West. The Warriors (17-13) had won 52 percent of their games against the pre-eminent conference.

They needed a signature win, and they played like it in a signature game - being selected to play on Christmas for the third time in the past four years after taking off the holiday for 26 seasons.

David Lee had 23 points and 13 rebounds, and Bogut added 10 points and 14 rebounds as the big men each grabbed double-digit rebounds for the 10th consecutive game. No teammates had accomplished the feat since Rich Kelley and Truck Robinson of the New Orleans Jazz in 1978.

Thompson finished with 23 points on a stellar defensive night, and Curry added 15 points, 11 assists and six rebounds on an off-shooting night. The point guard started 2-of-13 from the floor, before making three of his final four shots.

O'Neal update: Backup center Jermaine O'Neal, who was back with the Warriors for the first time since Dec. 13 surgery to repair ligaments in his right wrist, said he'll have a cast that stretches from his wrist to his elbow and includes steel rods removed Thursday.

Though he said the damage was worse than doctors expected, O'Neal promised to be back on the court before the season's end. He said he'll be "aggressive" in his rehabilitation and will stay in Oakland to start therapy during the team's upcoming seven-game road trip.