Draymond Green was ejected for the first time this season — and the 31st time of his career — after receiving two technical fouls in the same sequence during the Golden State Warriors’ home game against the Phoenix Suns on Monday night at Chase Center.
Draymond Green ejected vs. Suns (Credits: ESPN)
Why Draymond Green Was Ejected vs. the Suns
The flashpoint came two minutes into the third quarter. After Suns center Khaman Maluach bumped Green to the floor in the paint, Green jumped up, wrapped his arms around the young center and threw him to the ground. Dillon Brooks immediately sprinted in to defend his teammate, and Green responded by grabbing Brooks by the throat near his jersey.
Officials reviewed the play and assessed two technical fouls to Green — one for the Maluach takedown and one for the Brooks scuffle — resulting in his ejection. Brooks also received a technical foul on the play. Green, who had just returned to the lineup after missing Golden State’s win over the Clippers on Sunday, departed with four points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal in 17 minutes (a minus-6). Charles Bassey replaced him in the lineup with the Warriors trailing.
Draymond Green’s Ejection History Continues
The incident is just the latest chapter in one of the NBA’s most combustible rivalries. Brooks led the league in technical fouls last season while Green finished third, and the two have clashed repeatedly over the years. Green’s 31 career ejections remain one of the most remarkable — and costly — marks of his 36-year-old veteran career. With Golden State already short-handed, losing its defensive anchor mid-game only deepened the hole the Warriors had to dig out of at home.
Also Read: Yaxel Lendeborg Drops 37 as Warriors Beat Clippers 124-112 — Most by a Warriors Rookie Since Stephen Curry; Stephen Curry Drops Luka Dončić With Ankle Breaker as Warriors Storm Back From 25 Down to Beat Lakers 112-95
Source: ESPN — read the full story there.
