SAN FRANCISCO -- Warriors rookie two-way guard Ky Bowman might be new to the NBA, but that doesn't mean he'll let Blazers big man Hassan Whiteside get the upper hand.
"I know I'm a rook but I'm not going to get pushed around," Bowman said after the Warriors' 127-118 win over the Blazers at Chase Center on Monday.
The skirmish -- which took place with 6:12 left in the fourth quarter -- came after Bowman made a fastbreak layup over Whiteside. Following the play, Whiteside gave Bowman an elbow as the guard ran back on defense, earning a technical foul for a 'hostile act.'
"I laid it up and I was trying to get in front of the ball because I was picking it up 94 [feet] and make sure Damian [Lillard] didn't get it," Bowman said. "He bumped me then and I wasn't paying attention and he bumped me again."
Following injuries to D'Angelo Russell and Stephen Curry, Bowman -- who went undrafted following the 2019 NBA Draft -- has been thrust into the starting lineup, averaging 17.5 points, six assists and five rebounds in his last two appearances, earning respect from his teammates, most of whom came to his defense following Whiteside's actions.
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"It means a lot," Bowman said. "We lost some games down the stretch so we're all we've got so just knowing we've got each other's back that's big for us."
