Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he backs the assertion that Draymond Green’s kick to the groin of Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams during Sunday’s Game 3 was an accident.
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Russell Westbrook tallied a triple double and Kevin Durant finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds as Oklahoma City routed Golden State 118-94 to put the Warriors on the brink of elimination Tuesday.
He cried when it took place in the second quarter, Green’s right leg flying up after he’d been fouled in the paint and nailing Adams long after the whistle had been blown.
Although Green says the kick was an accident, others believe it was intentional and he should have been ejected from the game. “I am not sure how anyone can say I did that on objective”, he added. News stories displayed here appear in our category for Sports and are licensed via a specific agreement between LongIsland.com and The Associated Press, the world’s oldest and largest news organization. I mean, that’s just part of the game.
“I didn’t grow up like this, so I know what the struggle is like”. I don’t know how to flop. “During a game, players – at times – flail their legs in an attempt to draw a foul, but Green’s actions in this case warranted an additional penalty”.
The league reviews all flagrant fouls with the right to reclassify them as a “1” or “2”, or even rescinded them altogether, as Green and the Warriors wanted. When you go up for a shot and a guy’s challenging, that happens all the time. “But that wasn’t why I was so bad in this game”. And were capable. The best thing is were capable.
He also wasn’t buying the unintentional explanation from Green and Kerr.
“Does he have to be careful?” Crybaby said. Draymond, do us all a favor, GROW UP. “Now, people are watching for him or whatever. He just tries to keep playing”. Green told ESPN he would contact Adams with an apology on Monday.
“Honestly, I think it’s intentional”, Thunder All-Star Russell Westbrook said. James Harden received a Flagrant “1” then one-game suspension after kicking LeBron James in March 2015. Two more flagrant-one calls against him, or a single flagrant-two ejection would also force him to sit out one game. Oklahoma soared up, 114-91, with that Westbrook connection, and not too many home fans would settle back until the Thunder had completed another devastating conquest of defending National Basketball Association champion Golden State.
“That’s what was frustrating to me”, he said. “We’ve seen that the last couple of years”. That was pretty frustrating, especially with all the boos, because I love boos and it usually helps me play well. So no, I don’t think I’ll get suspended.
Should the Warriors want to have a chance of pulling off an incredible come-from-behind series win, Green will have to pull his socks up, leave the controversy in the past and regain his form.
Green hasn’t looked himself in this series as he is only averaging 11.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists, which is a far cry from what he is accustomed to doing on the court for the Warriors. In the regular season, Green averaged 14 points on 49 percent shooting, 9.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists.
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There was a well-publicized halftime incident back in February, during a Saturday night game between the Warriors and the Thunder. You haven’t even made the Finals yet, and you are letting a team with equal talent make you look like an eight seed. I covered a lot of these games, and their belief and confidence and how it manifested itself in real wins and greatness was unparalleled. Obviously the issue is he got him in the wrong place, and it was unfortunate, but I don’t think there was any intent behind it.
