WASHINGTONTo the trained cynic, sports rivalries are desperately manufactured hype. City A vs. proximally located City B must hate each other because...geography' Nah.And we know what passes for rivalries now. Media takes superstar quote out of context, media plays "he said, she said" game, media scans Instagram accounts for posts about cupcakesrinse, wash, hate. Personal grudges are personal, not a team concern. Sorry, rivalries are a farce. However, the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards would actually like to fight each other. The recent heated history between the Eastern Conference playoff foes escalated to yet another level Thursday night in an otherwise straightforward Game 3 blowouta 116-89 Washington victory. Over a year of beef has crescendoed into an actual, real-life, bloodthirsty rivalry, and John Wall is playing the puppeteer. Kelly Oubre Jr. crystallized the hatefest in Game 3 by charging Kelly Olynyk after an illegal screen, taking out a referee in one swift body check. It was the most obvious demonstration of dislike between the teams in this series, but it wasn't the only one. Moments before the incident, Ian Mahinmi and Jonas Jerebko exchanged chest bumps and growls. Later, in the fourth quarter, Wizards backup guard Brandon Jennings went at Terry Rozier.Markieff Morris spent the majority of the game talking trash to Isaiah Thomas. After the game entered the annals of the Verizon Center, Morris belted out a simple, resonant, pointed word: "Easy."Oh, and Wall did this:Beef has already defined the Celtics-Wizards season series, and again this postseason clash. The series will continue to be played with emotional discomfort.So the question becomes: Who can handle this emotional discomfort best'If beef is the X-factor, it's hard to bet against Wall. By all accounts, he has a chip on his shoulder, and he'sbeen at the center of most flare-ups with Boston. In January, it was Wall who made Jae Crowder so angry Crowder had to be restrained from coming at the point guard. Later that month, it was Wall who insisted his teammates wear black to a game signify Boston's "funeral."On Jan. 24, Wall called it what it was: "Yeah, I think it's a little rivalry," Wall told Candace Buckner ofthe Washington Post. Around the same time, star Boston guard Isaiah Thomas downplayed the idea this was a rivalry, but after Game 3, his tune had changed."We don't like them; they don't like us," Thomas said.Playoff series can be decided by who's dictating terms, whether emotionally or stylistically. Thomas, who struggled to find a rhythm in Game 3 (13 points on 3-of-8 shooting), admitted as much."They hit first," Thomas said. "Usually the team that hits first and is more physical, then the refs allow them to be more physical throughout the whole game."And Wall or the Wizards shouldn't apologize for what could easily be considered sound strategy down 2-0. It's business."As long as guys aren't out there trying to hurt each other. It comes with the game of basketball, guys getting fouled hard, trash-talking, that's what goes on with it," Wall said.But Oubre's blowup was shocking, and objectively dumb. Kiki Vandeweghe, the NBA's vice president of basketball operations and chief legislator of bad behavior, was in attendance at the game and should be able to make a quick decision. A one-game suspension likely fits the crime."We told him we understand you get frustrated," Wall said. "There's plenty of times in games that I wanna do stuff, but I know how much I mean to the team."Oubre is guaranteed a suspension, which will be no insignificant loss for Washington. An improving wing reserve, Oubre played 26 productive minutes in Game 1 (5-of-8, 12 points) and 28 minutes in Game 2 (5-of-11, 12 points). The Wizards can find 12 points, but Bradley Beal and Otto Porter Jr.'s already significant minute burden will increase. For a team in a 2-1 hole, a little extra fatigue can matter in fourth quarters. Game 3 didn't prove anything, but the Wizards' start-to-finish control hinted that Washington might actually be the better team in this series, despite being the lower seed and dropping the first two games. After all, the Celtics needed a historically brilliant performance from Thomas to force overtime in Game 2. The Wizards are essentially a miracle away from having a 2-1 lead.At some point, you have to wonder about the cost of emotional recklessness, andfromwhere that stems. But for now, you have to look at the balance sheet: 2-1, Celtics.As long as the Wizards are Wall's team, his grudges will remain the Wizards' grudges. As much as Boston-Washington is a team rivalry, it's become one because John Wall wanted friction. Maybe he needs it. Chris Trenchard is the NBA Editor at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter at @ChrisTrenchard.
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