Golden State Warriors' Kevin Durant apologizes for Game 1 ejection

April 15 (UPI) -- Golden State Warriors star forward Kevin Durant apologized for his ejection from his team's Game 1 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

"I don't wanna disappoint my coaches, the fan base and owners who expect me to be out on the floor so I apologize for being thrown out of the game," Durant told reporters Monday. "Just keep my mouth shut and play the game. Simple."

Durant and Clippers point guard Patrick Beverley were tossed from Saturday's game in the fourth quarter of the Warriors' 121-104 win. The players butted heads for a majority of the contest and each received a pair of double technicals.

Durant denied any hostility between him and Beverley and admitted his respect for the hard-nosed defender.

"I've been playing against Pat Beverley since he was at Arkansas, so I kind of know what he brings," Durant told reporters. "He's a Chicago kid, grew up and played in the Chicago area, so those dudes play with a different type of grit, so I can appreciate that about Pat. You know what he's going to bring to the table, just physically mucking up the game a little bit with his physicality. That's what he brings to each team he plays on."

Durant led the NBA with 17 technical fouls in the regular season. After his two technicals in the first game of the series, the star forward can receive four more techs in the postseason without penalty. A seventh technical foul in the playoffs results in a suspension.

"That's two technicals," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. "You get seven technicals. Your seventh one is a suspension in the playoffs, whether you play four playoff games or 24, seven is the magic number. So, he's got four to play with after one game. And that's what Beverley does."

Durant had 23 points, four rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes in Game 1. The Warriors hold a 1-0 series lead headed into Monday night's Game 2 at Oracle Arena.