The Golden State Warriors snapped their three-game losing streak on Saturday by beating the Phoenix Suns despite Draymond Green‘s ejection in the second quarter. Coach Steve Kerr expressed his disappointment with what happened, especially when compared to Dillon Brooks‘ actions in their previous game.
In his postgame press conference, Kerr was not happy with the referees for their decision to eject Green. He pointed out Brooks hitting Steph Curry in the stomach area last Thursday in Phoenix. The brash Suns forward wasn’t ejected, while Green was tossed because of his words.
“I thought it was weak. I mean, he was yelling at the refs, so he definitely deserved one. But then, he’s walking to the bench, and he yells something, and the second technical. … We just saw a guy on their team literally punch Steph in the stomach the other night, and premeditated punches him in the stomach. No ejection for that. Two nights later, refs got upset with some words from Draymond,” Kerr said, via NBC Sports Bay Area.
Green got into an argument with Collin Gillespie, which led to his first technical foul. However, he continued to argue with the referees and was quickly ejected after getting called for his second technical.
Curry Picks Up Slack After Green’s Ejection
The Golden State Warriors used Draymond Green’s ejection as fuel to build a lead against the Phoenix Suns. Steph Curry led the Warriors’ flurry in the third quarter, as the game came down to the wire in the final period.
Golden State’s defense came through in the last possession of the game, with Devin Booker shooting a highly contested shot near the half-court line. The Warriors ended their three-game losing streak with a 119-116 win. They improved to 14-15 for the season, which is good for the No. 8 spot in the West standings.
Curry finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, while Jimmy Butler contributed 25 points and two assists. Rookie guard Will Richard was huge off the bench, providing 20 points and five rebounds despite receiving DNPs in their last three games.
The Warriors withstood 38 points, five assists, three steals and two blocks from Booker. Dillon Brooks, who didn’t receive a suspension for his hit on Curry, had 22 points, five rebounds and three assists. The Suns dropped to 15-12 following their loss at the Chase Center.
Green Inching Closer to Rasheed Wallace’s NBA Record
With his ejection early in the second quarter, Draymond Green now has 24 career ejections. Green is now five disqualifications away from tying Rasheed Wallace’s record for most ejections in NBA history.
It’s an interesting stat, given that Wallace had way more technical fouls in his career than the former Defensive Player of the Year. Wallace has 317 career technical fouls, while Green increased his total to 169 after adding two on Saturday, as per Marca.
The four-time NBA champion has always been known for his temper and argumentative nature, though some of his ejections were due to his unsportsmanlike actions like punching, kicking or stomping.
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