SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors center Charles Bassey had a pointed message after his team’s 116-113 comeback win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday night: “It’s fake toughness.”
Bassey was asked about the physical game, including the technical fouls on Golden State’s Draymond Green and Phoenix’s Dillon Brooks that led to Green’s ejection two minutes into the third quarter, Arizona Sports reported.
“To be honest, I play hard and I’m always gonna be there for my teammates,” Bassey said on NBC Sports Bay Area’s postgame show. “Of course, when stuff is going like that, you just got to stay composed. …Don’t let all this stuff get out the game. It’s fake toughness.”
He doubled down at his news conference. “Being physical doesn’t mean you have to scuffle with guys,” Bassey said. “It doesn’t mean you’re tough. Being physical is playing harder every possession.”
Bassey backed it up on the court. He scored a career-high 19 points with eight rebounds, three on the offensive end, as the Warriors erased a 17-point deficit. After Green’s ejection, Golden State outscored Phoenix 59-45, according to Arizona Sports.
Another scuffle broke out in the fourth quarter when Bassey tangled with Suns guard Jalen Green. Suns forward Miles Bridges was given a technical foul after shoving Bassey.
The Warriors have won five straight since losing to Phoenix on Oct. 24. The Suns have lost three in a row and fell to 1-4.
Bassey, a Nigeria native and former five-star recruit, played sparingly for four teams before joining Golden State at the end of last season. He has gotten more minutes with Kristaps Porzingis hurt and Al Horford often resting.
Sources: Arizona Sports. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Airman 1st Class Kerelin Molina / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
