Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr and Draymond Green got into a heated argument Monday night during a timeout early in the third quarter, prompting Green to come off the bench and miss the final 20 minutes of the 120-97 game against the Orlando Magic.
The Warriors were trailing 71-66 at the time of the altercation. Green had just committed a turnover and was talking with a referee when Kerr called a timeout and tried to rally his team, believing they were lacking concentration. That’s when the argument broke out.
“We had a little argument,” Kerr said. “He made the decision to return to the locker room to calm down. That’s all I’ll say about that. This is all private. »
Moses Moody and assistant coach Jerry Stackhouse tried to calm Green down. After a few final words with Kerr, Green got up and walked down the tunnel to the locker room.
“Tempers were getting heated, and I thought it was best for me to get out of the way,” Green said. “I don’t think the situation was going to get better. It was better for me to move away. »
Green spent the last 8 minutes and 31 seconds of the third quarter in the locker room. His teammates Jimmy Butler, Al Horford and Buddy Hield, as well as two members of management, returned to check on him.
Green returned to the bench before the fourth quarter, but he did not remove his tracksuit and never returned to the game.
“No,” Kerr replied. “He wasn’t going to come back. No. He left. He returned to the locker room. We continued and the guys played very well. »
It was the second straight game where Green left the field prematurely. He was sent off after playing just eight minutes in Saturday’s home win over the Phoenix Suns and was on the court for just 18 minutes before opting to leave Monday night.
“We need Draymond,” Kerr said. “He’s a champion. We have been together for a long time. It’s unfortunate what happened, but it happened. »
After Green left, the Warriors took the lead thanks to a series of perfect shots from Stephen Curry, who made all six of his shots in the third quarter.
Curry finished with 26 points. Butler added 21. The Warriors pulled away in the fourth quarter to win by 23 points, but the argument between Kerr and Green overshadowed the positive mood created by a two-game winning streak.
“The questions are a little more negative than they should be,” Curry said. “I understand why you’re asking them, but downstairs right now the DJ is playing a good playlist, the guys are doing their job and we’re having a good time because we’re winning. »
In the Warriors’ last two losses, Green committed a total of 13 turnovers, leading to criticism of his play. Kerr criticized his team for its lack of discipline in protecting the ball.
“I’m not frustrated at all,” Green said. “I only committed one turnover today. I had the ball the whole time I was on the pitch. I know how to solve problems when they arise. I committed only one turnover during my playing time. I basically led our attack. »
An hour after the game, Green said he still hadn’t spoken with Kerr about the incident, but he made a point of speaking to reporters to defuse the situation. Kerr also said there would be no repercussions. The two argued numerous times on the field and in the locker room during their 12 seasons together.
“We’ve been together a long time,” Green said. “Sometimes when you spend a lot of time with people you feel comfortable and incidents can happen. We are moving forward. »
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