WARRIORS head coach Steve Kerr clearly does not buy into many of basketball’s unwritten rules.

“I’m on a one-man crusade to dispel these idiotic NBA rituals,” Kerr said.

Here was the situation: Warriors guard Shaun Livingston took a mid-range jumper with about three seconds left in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night, and his team ahead 122-114. The shot clock was about to expire. So, as Kerr instructs his players to do, Livingston launched.

Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson took exception to this, because the outcome already was decided. Thompson contested the shot with a high elbow, received a flagrant foul and was ejected. This led to the skirmish between him and Draymond Green.

Thompson contended Livingston violated an unwritten NBA rule, suggesting teams comfortably ahead should let the shot clock expire in the final seconds.

“That was some bull,” Thompson said later of Livingston’s shot.

Kerr vigorously disagreed.

“If there’s a shot-clock differential, you shoot the ball,” he said. “The game is telling you you’re supposed to shoot the ball. And if anybody is offended because you’re playing the game the way the clock and the rules are telling you to play, then I think that’s silly.

“If the shot clock is off, then you run the clock out. If the shot clock is on, you take a shot. I don’t know why there’s any ritual that says you’re supposed to stop playing.”(SD-Agencies)