SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was ejected from Saturday’s 119-116 win over the Phoenix Suns after picking up two technical fouls early in the second quarter. Green’s ejection, combined with the results of a flagrant 1 foul by Suns swingman Dillon Brooks on Stephen Curry late in Thursday’s loss to the Suns, compelled a frustrated Steve Kerr to air his grievances with how the officials adjudicated both situations in postgame comments after Saturday’s game.
“I thought it was weak,” Kerr said of Green’s ejection. “He was yelling at the refs so he definitely deserved one, but then he’s walking to the bench and he yells something and (gets) the second technical.”
Then, Kerr pivoted to make the point he had been stewing on since the end of Thursday’s loss. With just under 30 seconds left to play and the Warriors trailing 96-91, Warriors star guard Stephen Curry went up to take a three-point and was hit in the stomach by Brooks as Curry held his follow-through. The officials in Thursday’s game reviewed the play and upgraded the sequence to a flagrant 1 foul, but did not eject Brooks from the game. It was a moment that stuck with Kerr.
“We just saw a guy on their team literally punch Steph in the stomach the other night,” Kerr continued. “Premeditated, punches him in the stomach, no ejection for that, and then two nights later, the refs got upset with some words from Draymond. I totally disagreed and that’s why I got my tech. Because I was furious that they booted him out just like that so easily.”
Kerr said he was still upset by the play, and the fact that the league took no further action on Brooks.
“How can you not be upset?” Kerr said. “This is a guy who broke Gary’s (Payton II) elbow in the playoffs, clotheslining him with one of the dirtiest plays I’ve ever seen. So it’s not like there’s not a track record there, and it’s right there, they look at it. I don’t know what the point of replay is if you’re not gonna kick a guy out for literally punching somebody. It’s bizarre to me that he was not, first of all, ejected from that game, and then suspended or fined. Nothing. Nothing.
“So, apparently you’re now allowed, this is my take, you are now allowed to premeditate a punch of any shooter who’s left defenseless, you can now take a swing at him and know you’re just gonna get a flagrant 1, so I don’t know, maybe we’ll do that — but probably not.”
Kerr said he spoke to the league office in the wake of the play with Brooks from Thursday night. What did the league say in response to Kerr?
“No comment,” Kerr said. “That’s private.”
On Saturday night, Green initially got tangled up with Suns guard Collin Gillespie under the basket and the pair exchanged words coming back up the floor. Green shoved Gillespie and was whistled for the first technical. He continued arguing with the officials after the first whistle as several Warriors players and team security personnel tried to calm him down. Green continued arguing and was given his second technical foul by official Pat Fraher and ejected.
Green continued arguing with the officials for a few moments before walking back to the locker room. Green’s frustration both at himself, and his team’s play, has been building in recent days. Green returned to the lineup last Sunday during a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers after missing a week and a half because of a lingering foot issue and a team-excused absence. He has committed 14 turnovers over his last three games and has struggled to find a rhythm in his return.
Despite Green’s ejection, the Warriors got a win on Saturday night that they badly needed, snapping a three game losing streak in the process. Curry finished with a team-high 28 points, Jimmy Butler had his second straight strong game with 25 points and rookie guard Will Richard scored 20 points in a return to the rotation after being a DNP-coach’s decision over the last three games. Curry was proud of the Warriors for being able to step up and fill in the gaps after Green’s ejection.
“It was tough because we were energized at the beginning of the game knowing this is a good opportunity to bounce back,” Curry said.
“It was a weird, choppy, physical game in the first quarter and it spilled into the second. I think (the ejection) woke us up because we knew without him we were gonna have to play even tougher, dig deeper down the rotation. I think everybody was kind of on alert to have his back.”
