SAN FRANCISCO — Draymond Green will be walking on thin ice with officials for the rest of the season.
In the waning moments of Wednesday’s crushing 122-119 loss to the Detroit Pistons, the Warriors star was ejected after getting his second technical of the night. Green got tossed after tussling with Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart with 1:24 left and the refs went to review during a commercial break, dealing out a double tech to both players.
It marked Green’s 12th technical of the season, meaning he has four technicals left in the regular season before the NBA hands down a mandatory one-game suspension. The Warriors have 43 games remaining.
Despite Green’s hot-headed start to the season, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he’s not worried about the possibility of Green getting technical No. 16 during the regular season.
“He’s never gone over,” Kerr said. “He knows where the line is.”
Green’s energy and intense attitude can’t be turned off, but he’s been vocal all season and the refs have had quick whistles. His first ejection came with nine minutes left in the second quarter when he was barking at referees while inbounding a ball. It marked Green’s second ejection of the season, as he was also tossed on Dec. 14 against the Indiana Pacers.
Kerr said he wishes the refs would take the situation into account when making tech calls on replays.
“This is what people pay to see – competition at its highest form,” Kerr said. “To come out of the timeout – we’ve already drawn up our play and Draymond’s already on the floor – and then we gotta inbound the ball and they tell us Draymond has been ejected, that’s a tough one. I haven’t experienced that before. I’d prefer in those situations that the officials have the awareness that somebody’s got a T. We’re not gonna kick him out because two guys get into a little yelling match or whatever it is.”
Green finished with four points, eight rebounds and seven assists but couldn’t be on the floor in the final moments, as the tense affair ultimately went Detroit’s way. We’ll never know if he would have been able to help Golden State’s defense in the final stretch, including Saddiq Bey’s buzzer-beater as time expired.
“It was unfortunate because Draymond is such an important piece of what we do,” Klay Thompson said. “But we still had a chance to win.”
