Draymond Green was thrown again, but this time he has a point.
Green was ejected in the second quarter of the Golden State Warriors’ 119-116 win over the Phoenix Suns after picking up two technical fouls in quick succession, with the second drawing immediate blowback from head coach Steve Kerr, who did not hide his frustration afterward.
Green appeared to cleanly block a shot from Suns guard Collin Gillespie with 10:45 left in the second quarter, but as they exchanged words the other way, Green shoved Gillespie to get his first tech of the night.
Naturally, Green protested the technicality and continued to chew at referee Pat Fraher as he walked to the scorer’s table, later earning a second, leading to an automatic ejection.
“I thought it was weak,” Kerr said after the match. “He definitely deserves one. But he walks to the bench and yells something and then technical. We recently saw a guy from their team literally punch Steph in the stomach, with premeditation, punch him in the stomach and not get sent off for that. Two nights later the refs got angry at some of Draymond’s words. I couldn’t agree more with that.”
Kerr was referring to a flagrant foul on Suns’ wing Dillon Brooks that occurred late in the fourth quarter during their Thursday night meeting in which Phoenix won 99-98.
Brooks swung and nailed Curry in the stomach on his follow-up from the corner, sending him writhing to the ground in pain.
Officials reviewed it, called it egregious, but did not eject Brooks from the game.
The Warriors contacted the league about the encounter, believing Brooks should be fined or suspended. according to ESPN.
“I find it bizarre that I was first suspended from that game and then suspended or fined. Nothing?” Kerr wondered. “So apparently now you’re allowed to — this is my opinion — you’re allowed to premeditatedly punch any gunman left defenseless, you can now lunge at him and just take a blatant punch.”
Surprisingly, this was Green’s first ejection of the season; he has 21 career regular-season ejections.
The Warriors are just eighth in the Western Conference at 14-15, while the Suns are just ahead at 15-13.
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