MINNEAPOLIS — Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is now two technical fouls away from suspension in these playoffs following a dead-ball infraction in Game 2 of the Warriors’ series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
He opted against going to the podium following the game but made a statement that illustrates how he feels targeted by the league and the officials.
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“I’m sick of the agenda to make me look like the angry Black man. I’m not an angry Black man,” Green said. “I’m a very successful, educated Black man with a great family. And I’m great at basketball, I’m great at what I do. The agenda to try to keep making me look like an angry Black man is crazy. I’m sick of it. It’s ridiculous.”
With that, he exited the locker room after the Timberwolves tied the series against Golden State with a 117-93 win.
Green flailed his arms wildly after being fouled by Timberwolves forward Naz Reid and after Reid went down, the play went to review. Reid was assessed a personal foul and Green was given the technical foul— lead official Tony Brothers deemed Green’s contact unnecessary as Green was trying to sell the contact to draw the foul.
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Green let the officials know how he felt in the immediate aftermath, and injured teammate Stephen Curry came up the sideline to calm Green, before Steve Kerr pulled him out as he would’ve been in danger of an ejection and one technical closer to suspension.
Brothers was the lead official in Game 7 of the Warriors’ first-round series against the Houston Rockets, where the same conclusion was drawn on Green following contact with Rockets guard Fred VanVleet.
VanVleet reached in on Green, committing a foul, and in the exact same motion Green flailed his arms, hitting VanVleet in the face. He was given a technical foul after an official’s review.
Green has a reputation of pushing the line with the officials and opposing players, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr has credited Green for keeping his cool in the last two Warriors wins on the road until now.
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He hardly said anything to the officials in the Warriors’ series-opening win in Minneapolis, focusing on anchoring their defense.
That changed Thursday in the Warriors loss, but Kerr is confident Green won’t go over the line to further decimate his team.
“He’s going to have to be careful,” Kerr said. “He’s going to have to stay composed and I’m confident he will because he knows the consequences.”
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