Green Leaves Bench After Heated Timeout Clash With Kerr in Warriors’ 120-97 Win Over Magic
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SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State forward Draymond Green walked off the court and did not return to action Monday night after a heated exchange with head coach Steve Kerr during an early third-quarter timeout of the Warriors’ 120-97 victory over the Orlando Magic.
The incident unfolded with 8:31 remaining in the third period and the Warriors trailing 71-66. Green had just committed his first turnover of the game and was talking to an official when Kerr called timeout, saying he felt his team was losing focus. Words were exchanged, and, despite attempts by Moses Moody and assistant coach Jerry Stackhouse to de-escalate, Green headed to the locker room.
“Tempers spilled over, and I thought it was best that I get out of there,” Green told reporters afterward. “I don’t think it was a situation where it was going to get better.”
Green remained in the locker room for the final 8:31 of the third quarter. Veterans Jimmy Butler III, Al Horford and Buddy Hield, along with several front-office staff members, checked on him. He returned to the bench before the fourth quarter began but kept his warm-ups on and never re-entered the game.
Kerr confirmed he would not have put Green back in. “He left. We moved forward, and the guys played great,” the coach said.
It marked the second straight game Green did not finish; he was ejected after eight minutes in Saturday’s win over the Phoenix Suns. On Monday he logged 18 minutes before departing.
After Green’s exit, Stephen Curry went 6-for-6 in the third quarter and finished with 26 points, while Butler added 21. The Warriors closed the night on a two-game winning streak, improving to 15-15.
Green, who totaled 13 turnovers across the team’s two most recent losses but only one on Monday, said he was not frustrated with his play. “I essentially ran our offense,” he noted.
Neither Green nor Kerr expected long-term fallout. “We’ve been at this for a long time,” Green said of their 12 seasons together. “Sometimes you’re with people for a long time and there’s a level of comfort and stuff happens. We move forward.”
Source: ESPN
