Game 4 of the Warriors-Nuggets first round series got off to a testy start.
Just 40 seconds into Sunday’s contest, the game had to be stopped after Warriors forward Draymond Green poked Nuggets center Nikola Jokic in the right eye. As the reigning MVP briefly laid on the floor in pain, Green and Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon started to tussle before having to be separated.
Green and Gordon were eventually served technicals. Referees reviewed the play to see if Green deserved a flagrant foul but it was ruled a common foul.
“There was no unnecessary contract,” referee Zach Zarba said. “It wasn’t a smack to the face, it was more fingertips to the face.”
It didn’t look intentional by Green and Jokic looked shaken up initially, but stayed in the game. Green and Gordon have been chirping all series, but you can see the intensity both teams carried into this game.
The No. 3 Warriors entered the matinee eyeing a series sweep over the No.6-seeded Nuggets, despite having Jokic, the best player in the game for two years running.
