Charles Barkley Reportedly Challenged to Fight by Warriors Fan for Thunder Pick
The Golden State Warriors are on the brink of postseason elimination, and their fans are evidently on edge.
According to USA Today's Sam Amick, "a wayward Warriors fan was so enraged that TNT analyst Charles Barkley picked the [Oklahoma City] Thunder to win the series that he challenged him to an actual fight" at a hotel bar near Chesapeake Energy Arena. Security reportedly ended up removing the fan from the premises.
The incident occurred Sunday—just after the Thunder thrashed the Warriors by 28 points in Game 3 and two days before Oklahoma City seized a commanding 3-1 series lead—so one can only imagine how frustrated the fan would have been had the encounter happened Tuesday night.
The fan's actions serve as a microcosm of the nervous energy that has enveloped the franchise and its fanbase since the Thunder started making noise in the Western Conference Finals.
Even Warriors owner Joe Lacob hasn't been immune to showing public dissatisfaction. Amick reported that Lacob "grew so weary of one Thunder fan’s belligerent badgering during Game 3 that he just had to holler back at the burly fellow."
Golden State has largely been strife-free since developing into the league's most formidable squad last season, so it is entering uncharted territory with a win-or-go-home Game 5 slated for Thursday evening (9 p.m. ET on TNT).
According to WhoWins.com, out of the 229 best-of-seven series that have featured a team falling behind 3-1, only nine—or 3.9 percent—have proceeded to rip off three consecutive victories and win the series.
The Warriors are more than capable of making history and joining that small segment, as evidenced by their 73-win regular season, but they'll need improved play across the board to defy the odds and repeat as Western Conference champions.
