Wednesday’s NBA play-in tournament game between the Warriors and Clippers already has plenty of storylines, so why not add one more?

Clippers guard Darius Garland had high praise for Steph Curry after the 115-110 win over Golden State on Sunday.

“It’s pretty cool going against a top-75 guy like that, first ballot Hall of Famer,” Garland said. “It will be cool just to compete with a guy like that. The skill and the ability that he has, that affected me and the way that I play.”

Garland is averaging 18.8 points and 6.7 assists per game, filling some of the void left after James Harden was dealt to Cleveland.

“It’s super cool to see that on the other end, Garland continued. It’s gonna be fun. Any time you play against a top-75 guy like that or a first ballot Hall-of-Famer or someone that you’re inspired by or looked up to and watched when you’re growing up, it’s always super cool to go against him and go at him a little bit. I’m super excited about that, but my main goal is trying to win the game, so that’s all that matters to me.”

Garland was a former first-round pick for the Cavaliers and helped get Cleveland back on the map as a true contender before being traded to Los Angeles. Curry responded to Garland’s comments with nothing but gratitude.

“It’s surreal that you’re this deep into your career and you have that influence,” Curry responded. “He was a guy when he first showed up in Cleveland that you knew was gonna be a problem in the league just because of his skillset, his composure, obviously his speed.

The 38-year-old will do his best to keep up with Garland’s speed on Wednesday night in a win-or-go-home scenario.

“He’s just a gamer. I know he’s been dealing with some injuries early in the year and over the course of his career,” Curry added. “But when he’s out there, he’s always a threat. It’s great to see him continue to grow, and even in a new setting, continuing to figure it out.”

No matter the outcome of Wednesday’s play-in game, there is no love lost between these two elite point guards.

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