Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green was involved in a skirmish on Monday night. How many times have you read that sentence before?
The 15-year NBA veteran who has been in a number of scuffles and confrontations added another to his resume against the Phoenix Suns. The four-time All-Star was running back on defense in the third quarter when Suns center Khaman Maluach received the ball in the paint.
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As Maluach tried to establish position, Green fell to the ground. Green immediately got back up as Maluach received the ball and tried for a lay-up. Green decided to wrap his arms around the 7-foot-1 player’s waist and threw him down to the floor.
Dillon Brooks rushed over and put his hand on Green to get him to backpedal from Maluach. Green, in turn, grabbed Brooks by his jersey. Green had to be pulled back to the sideline. Green was hit with consecutive technical fouls and received his first ejection of the season.
Golden State was down 67-57 with 10 minutes left in the period, but stormed all the way back to win the game 116-113.
Brooks said he was trying to keep things calm when he entered the fray.
“I was just trying to deescalate the whole thing,” Brooks said. “He did a lot there, fell down, and pushed him at the end of it. I was just trying to deescalate it. He was just tweaking all game. So let it be.”
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Warriors guard Brandon Podziemski said the incident “fueled” the team.
“We didn’t have that edge to us to start the game,” he said. “Found it a little bit in the second quarter and then they came out in the third quarter pretty well and then that kind of changed the game for us. Everybody locked in a little bit more and came together for Dray. I think it was needed. Maybe he sensed it, maybe he didn’t, but it helped us.”
Maluach brushed off Green’s antics.
“I think it’s just a basketball play, he’s just out there playing basketball,” Maluach said. “Nothing against Draymond, he’s just playing basketball out there.”
Green has received 179 technical fouls in his career and has been ejected 23 times. He now has three technical fouls in the Warriors’ first eight games.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.