Veteran Golden State Warriors power forward/center Draymond Green found himself in familiar terrain last night against the Orlando Magic. He contested a call with an attendant referee, and the chat apparently got so heated that he was assessed a second technical foul on the night and a quick ejection. The full video of the ejection can be watched below, via Bleacher Report:
Green of course has already missed 17 games this year due to a pair of suspensions by the league, related to some of his prior on-court misadventures. Getting into a spirited debate with an official is hardly advisable, though it seems slightly more innocuous than the incidents that caused some prior suspensions.
Head coach Steve Kerr, somewhat surprisingly, sided with the official last night. He said as much during his postgame remarks, as captured by Anthony Slater in a separate piece.
Steve Kerr on the Draymond Green ejection: “Too bad. It was unfortunate. He deserved it. He will bounce back.”
Asked if it eroded any of the recent confidence Draymond has built: “No” pic.twitter.com/bw4tXlXvA7
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 28, 2024
“Too bad. It was unfortunate. He deserved it,” Kerr said. “He’ll bounce back. I’m just proud of the guys for stepping up. Moses [Moody] came off the bench, had a big game for us. He made a big three, and then Gary [Payton II] was fantastic. We had guys step up and that’s what it takes.”
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
All-NBA Warriors point guard Stephen Curry also spoke after the fact about Green’s ejection, and how valuable the 6’6″ MSU product remains to its continued success. The victory elevated Phoenix to a 38-34 record. With just ten contests left to play, for now, missing the play-in tournament bracket entirely would no doubt be ideal for a team featuring four core players on the wrong side of 33 in Curry, Green, Klay Thompson, and Chris Paul.
Steph Curry on the Draymond Green ejection: “All I’ll say is we need him. He knows that. We all know that. So whatever it takes for him to be on the floor and available, that’s what’s gotta happen.” pic.twitter.com/kgUhktxLOO
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 28, 2024
“All I’ll say is we need him. He knows that. We all know that,” Curry indicated. “So whatever it takes for him to be on the floor and available, that’s what’s gotta happen. Especially at this part of the year. Tough way to start the game, but I am extremely proud of every single person that stepped foot on the floor tonight and responded the way that they did.”
In the 101-92 Warriors win Curry scored 17 points on an uncharacteristically inefficient 6-of-8 shooting from the floor and dished out 10 picks. In all of 3:36, Green didn’t score a single basketball. He did manage to pull down three boards and dish out one dime.
Next up for the Warriors is a matchup against the lowly Charlotte Hornets on Friday and the tanking San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, both quite winnable.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.