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THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS fought back from a double-digit deficit on Tuesday to beat the Toronto Raptors in overtime, 113-112, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals.
But the story of the game may have been the two small altercations between the rapper Drake – a loyal Raptors fan and team ambassador – and Kendrick Perkins, a 33-year-old veteran Cavs center.
At the end of the first half, as the teams went to the locker rooms, Perkins and Drake could be seen exchanging words as Cavs guard J.R. Smith tried to push Perkins away.
DRAKE VS KENDRICK PERKINS?! OK pic.twitter.com/ecl3VKRBmp
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) May 2, 2018
After the game, the two again exchanged words, with the Cavs’ security staff talking to Drake and a member of his party as the team walked into the locker room.
Drake could be heard saying, “I never said that shit.”
Drake and Kendrick Perkins exchanged more words postgame pic.twitter.com/Z0rdXDe1uL
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 2, 2018
Perkins told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that he was having fun trash-talking the Raptors big man Serge Ibaka when Drake interrupted.
The center said:
What happened was I was talking to my old teammate Serge (Ibaka) walking into halftime telling him ‘We about to win this game,’ and Drake butted in talking shit to me. So I said something back to him.
In a text message to ESPN, Kendrick Perkins says: “What happened was I was talking to my old teammate Serge (Ibaka) walking into halftime telling him ‘We about to win this game,’ and Drake butted in talking shit to me. So I said something back to him.” https://t.co/sJ3Ntx6zVy
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 2, 2018
Perkins added that he told Drake, “Sit your ass down and watch the game.”
Drake said in a comment on an Instagram post on Tuesday: “I just said I like the hem on his capris.”
Bruce Arthur of The Toronto Star, however, alleged that the confrontation had carried on all the way down the tunnel.
This went all the way into the tunnel, with Drake calling Perkins a "f------ p----" and calling for him to come out. "I'm here in real life," he said. He was mad. https://t.co/3DJ2HBvrWN
— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) May 2, 2018
With the Cavs in Toronto for Game 2 on Thursday, it’s possible there will be more fireworks between Drake and Perkins.