Warriors forward Draymond Green was ejected less than four minutes into Golden State’s game against the Magic in Orlando on Wednesday after receiving two technical fouls.
Green was whistled for a foul at the 8:50 mark of the first quarter and disputed it. Two possessions later, after an and-1 foul on Steph Curry generated another stoppage, he went back to official Ray Acosta to continue his case. Acosta gave him a quick technical and began to walk toward the sideline and eventually the scorer’s table to deliver the news. Green continued talking to Acosta — asking him a repetitive question, it appears on video — but was actually walking toward the timeout huddle, with his back to Acosta, when Acosta whistled him for a second technical and ejected him.
Green walked straight to the locker room without even looking back at Acosta. It was unclear exactly what Green said to earn the ejection — his fourth ejection of the season — but the amateur lip readers can try below. Several Warriors were upset with Acosta in the aftermath, letting him and the entire officiating crew know they felt it was too quick and too significant a punishment. Chris Paul spent the next couple stoppages voicing his displeasure.
Draymond was ejected for this pair of technical fouls in the first quarter … pic.twitter.com/Nm3htPW6GT
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 27, 2024
Draymond picked up two technicals and was ejected after having words with the ref pic.twitter.com/tn2muDIXGo
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 27, 2024
Green has previously been disciplined for his conduct in games. He was reinstated in January after a 12-game suspension for striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić in the face during a game in December. Joe Dumars, NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations, said Green’s “repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts” was considered in the league’s decision to suspend Green, which was then was for an indefinite period.
What is the significance?
We will see. This is a massive game for the Warriors, who are trying to hold off the Rockets to stay in the Play-In bracket. They’d built their game plan against the Magic around a two-big starting lineup of Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis, already missing the scoring punch of Jonathan Kuminga against the giant Magic lineups. But the Warriors actually played well in the immediate aftermath of Green’s ejection, especially on the defensive end, holding the Magic to 11 first quarter points to build a 17-point lead. — Anthony Slater, Warriors beat writer
Required reading
(Photo: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
