Getty Stephen Curry and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors bounced back in Game 3 of their playoff series against the Sacramento Kings, bringing it to 2-1. Golden State managed to get things done even without Draymond Green, who was suspended after his altercation with Domantas Sabonis in Game 2.
When the decision to suspend Green was announced by the NBA, the Warriors were very unhappy, and they voiced their displeasure. Stephen Curry also stated his frustrations with the decision, calling out the league for what he believed to be an incorrect choice.
“Understanding how bad of a decision I think the league made on suspending him, you’re frustrated with that,” Curry said via Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “We have a job to do and there’s nothing we can do about it… We obviously understand the consequences of if we lost tonight, and nobody wanted to feel that.”
Curry led the charge in Game 3, helping the Warriors pick up a win over the Kings without Green available. The superstar point guard dropped 36 points to go along with six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block. He shot 12-of-25 from the field and 6-of-12 from deep.
Green will be back in the lineup for Game 4 against the Kings. The Warriors will be looking to even the series on their home floor–where they have been nothing short of dominant this season. Failing to do so could lead to a disastrous Game 5, as the Warriors will be heading back out on the road–where they have been terrible.
Warriors’ Draymond Green Discusses Suspension
In his first statement since the suspension, Green spoke about the decision on his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show.” The NBA’s decision was made in part due to Green’s past actions, and Green made it his mission to point out the foolishness of that concept.
“I never knew you could be suspended for a flagrant two that happened seven years ago,” Green said. “And I also didn’t know you could get suspended for interacting with a crowd that’s flipping you double birds and yelling your name and chants that you suck. I didn’t know that either. Saying that, my guys played well… Being suspended from a game at this point in my career, it will never affect me from an emotional standpoint outside of… not being able to participate in that dogfight.”
Warriors Upset With Draymond Green Suspension
In addition to Green’s comments, the team itself made it clear that they were not happy with the NBA’s decision to suspend Green. When the news came out, ESPN’s Zach Lowe unveiled that the Warriors disagreed with the choice. On top of that, they made it clear that they believe Sabonis is playing dirty and using the ball as a weapon.
“There is some anger within the organization toward the league,” Lowe said on the April 19 edition of “The Lowe Post” podcast. “There’s a sense in the organization that Sabonis is shoving people on offensive rebounds and playing with his elbows out and using the ball as a weapon on offense.”
