Since Draymond Green returned from an indefinite suspension earlier this year, the Golden State Warriors have repeatedly praised the striker for better controlling his emotions.
He still occasionally argued with the referee and played relatively harshly but rarely exceeded the limit… until the Warriors match against Orlando Magic on March 28.
Less than 4 minutes after the match started, Draymond Green was disqualified and expelled from the field for committing 2 consecutive technical fouls.
Green exceeded the limit when he continuously argued with referee Ray Acosta and even though he was given a technical foul as a warning, he still did not stop before using a statement with inappropriate content.
This caused referee Acosta to blow a second technical foul and Draymond Green was disqualified. It is worth mentioning that Green was not the one directly fouled, but Stephen Curry.
While Draymond left the field, coach Steve Kerr continued to chat with the referees about his student’s disqualification. But attention is now directed towards Stephen Curry, who clearly shows a look of mental fatigue, mixed with a bit of helplessness and possibly even disappointment.
“We need him on the field. He also knows that well. My whole team and even the opponent know that. So we always do everything we can to keep Draymond on the field,” Stephen Curry shared after the match.
“Especially at this hot time of the season, we don’t want to harm ourselves anymore and focus on competing. Green being sent off right at the beginning of the match made everything very difficult.
This is the 4th time Draymond Green has been sent off from a match during the season, a “career-high” index that he probably did not want. Green is also the first player to have been sent off twice in the first half. 1 over the past 20 years in the NBA.
“We clearly understand the importance of these matches because the team is looking to secure a place in the play-in round. We don’t want to lose the game ourselves before the final whistle blows. That’s why I felt sad at that moment.
Here, I or any member of the team really wants to win. We are in the sprint phase and believe that the team can advance to the postseason. So emotions surged inside me and the whole team at that time”, Stephen Curry added.
But instead of letting emotions take over and giving up the match, Stephen Curry used it as motivation to shine in the final minutes of the match.
Immediately after a beautiful step-back 3-pointer in front of young defender Jalen Suggs with 33 seconds left in the game, Curry showed off his familiar “good night” celebration on the way home.
And then when returning to the bench because the opponent called for a conference call, Curry was seen kicking three chairs away in the Warriors’ technical area.
“I have to let it out a little bit,” Curry said. “In this tournament, nothing is certain. For us, we have to play two matches in two days and lose two key players in the starting lineup. Maybe not many people believe we can win.
Maybe because you are pushed into a corner, you will find some special energy within. I’m proud of the whole team for overcoming mental difficulties and fighting to win this important victory.”
After the series of matches on March 28, the Golden State Warriors (38-34) with 10th place are on the verge of the play-in group (7th-8th-9th-10th). Right behind them is the Houston Rockets (37-35), a young team that is suddenly rising with a 10-match unbeaten streak.
So to see how serious Stephen Curry is about needing Draymond Green to keep calm and keep himself on the field. The door for Play-ins and beyond is still there, but it will be a very “hard to swallow” experience if the Warriors lose just because one of their players always has problems with the referees.