Draymond Green ejected again for flagrant 2 on Jusuf Nurkic

Forward Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors was shown the door during Tuesday night’s 119-116 loss to the Phoenix Suns, as he was called for a flagrant foul number two for striking Jusuf Nurkic in the head.

His third ejection of the year, he will now have to wait for a league review to see if he will get another punishment.

With 8:23 remaining in the third quarter, Draymond Green struck Nurkic in the head with a swing while defending him, earning him an ejection. Initially, Draymond Green kept Nurkic off him several times with his back to him. After a while, Draymond Green turned and gave Nurkic a hand on the head. A video review led officials to determine that the foul was a flagrant 2.

“I am not one to apologize for things I mean to do, but I do apologize to Jusuf because I didn’t intend to hit him,” Draymond Green stated following the match. “I sell calls with my arms … so I was selling the call … and I swung and unfortunately I hit him.”

With three ejections, Draymond Green has tied the record for most in a season. His first occurred on November 11 after he was given two technical fouls by the Cleveland Cavaliers. His second occurred on Nov. 14 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, when he locked heads with Rudy Gobert. Following the latter incident, the NBA punished Draymond Green for five games, citing his reputation as a repeat offender as justification for the suspension period.

He is necessary. Draymond is essential to us. Coach Steve Kerr stated He is aware of that. We’ve spoken with him. He needs to figure out how to support his teammates while maintaining his composure.

Draymond Green took note of Kerr’s communication.

“Like I said, if I intended to do that, then I would feel awful about not being there,” Draymond Green stated. However, I only intended to sell the foul.

You people have known me for a long enough time; I won’t apologize if I did something that I meant to do. But I apologize; I did get in touch with him. It is a powerful blow.

Green’s behavior “had nothing to do with basketball,” according to Nurkic, while Suns coach Frank Vogel described it as “a reckless, dangerous play.

“I’m sensitive to our guys getting hit on plays like that,” Vogel stated. It wasn’t to my liking. The officials took the necessary action. The league will take necessary action.

In addition to losing Green to the ejection, Stephen Curry was left to try to win the game with the team’s younger players when Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins were benched.

“It seems like every game our bench has to come in and rescue the game,” Kerr stated. It hasn’t come together as a beginning group. We are treading water as a result.

A quarter of the way into the season, the Warriors have buried themselves in a 10–13 hole as the core group of players they rely on keeps struggling.

Everyone must perform to the standard that we demand. We lose if that doesn’t occur, Curry stated. It’s quite easy. That is our current situation. Each of us needs to perform better on our own and as a team. Be ready to adjust to whatever task you are given, whatever the minutes or rotation you are in.

In 17 minutes, Wiggins managed just three points on one of seven shots, while Thompson finished with seven points on two of ten shots, including one of eight from three, in 27 minutes. Thompson went out of bounds on the sideline with little over six minutes remaining in the game, resulting in another Warriors turnover.

After being substituted out of the game, Thompson was pacing, screaming, and hurling towels on the floor as he made his way around the bench during the next timeout. Curry had to calm him down.

After the game, Thompson stated he thought it was “strange” that the game wasn’t closer but that he should have been benched.

I performed poorly, he said. You already know your potential if you’ve ever played basketball. You want to be competing everywhere you go. That’s the truth, but I should have been benched. I have not been playing well. I still haven’t established a rhythm after twenty games.

He is necessary. Draymond is essential to us. Coach Steve Kerr stated, “He is aware of that.” We’ve spoken with him. He needs to figure out how to support his teammates while maintaining his composure.

Green took note of Kerr’s communication.

“Like I said, if I intended to do that, then I would feel awful about not being there,” Draymond Green stated. However, I only intended to sell the foul.

You people have known me for a long enough time; I won’t apologize if I did something that I meant to do. But I apologize; I did get in touch with him. It is a powerful blow.

Green’s behavior “had nothing to do with basketball,” according to Nurkic, while Suns coach Frank Vogel described it as “a reckless, dangerous play.”

“I’m sensitive to our guys getting hit on plays like that,” Vogel stated. It wasn’t to my liking. The officials took the necessary action. The league will take necessary action.

In addition to losing Draymond Green to the ejection, Stephen Curry was left to try to win the game with the team’s younger players when Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins were benched.

“It seems like every game our bench has to come in and rescue the game,” Kerr stated. It hasn’t come together as a beginning group. We are treading water as a result.

A quarter of the way into the season, the Warriors have buried themselves in a 10–13 hole as the core group of players they rely on keeps struggling.

Everyone must perform to the standard that we demand. We lose if that doesn’t occur, Curry stated. It’s quite easy. That is our current situation. Each of us needs to perform better on our own and as a team. Be ready to adjust to whatever task you are given, whatever the minutes or rotation you are in.

In 17 minutes, Wiggins managed just three points on one of seven shots, while Thompson finished with seven points on two of ten shots, including one of eight from three, in 27 minutes. Thompson went out of bounds on the sideline with little over six minutes remaining in the game, resulting in another Warriors turnover.

After being substituted out of the game, Thompson was pacing, screaming, and hurling towels on the floor as he made his way around the bench during the next timeout. Curry had to calm him down.

After the game, Thompson stated he thought it was “strange” that the game wasn’t closer but that he should have been benched.

I performed poorly, he said. You already know your potential if you’ve ever played basketball. You want to be competing everywhere you go. That’s the truth, but I should have been benched. I have not been playing well. I still haven’t established a rhythm after twenty games.

Credits: ESPN

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