“The reality is Gary Payton II is out for an extended period of time” - Draymond Green praises the NBA for holding people accountable as Dillon Brooks is suspended, says intent doesn’t matter anymore
The Memphis Grizzlies secured a 106-101 win over Draymond Green's Golden State Warriors in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals on Tuesday.
The Warriors didn’t have Gary Payton II around the perimeter to hound Ja Morant. GP fractured his elbow within a few minutes of the game after getting hit by Dillon Brooks.
Green was on "The Draymond Green Show" when he received the news of Brooks’ suspension for Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals.
Here’s what the 31-year-old forward had to say upon hearing the news:
"And as I’ve said, clearly intent doesn’t matter anymore. Whether there was intent or not, doesn’t really matter to me. The reality is Gary Payton II is out for an extended period of time. It was a nasty fall, defenseless player.
"I respect the accountability from the NBA, you gotta hold guys accountable, I’ve been held accountable."
.@Money23Green learned about Dillon Brooks' suspension as he was taping the podcast
Catch his full reaction and playoff breakdown: youtube.com/watch?v=NOYmOy… https://t.co/lNRJ8SHyYR
Green specifically mentioned intent as he was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and was tossed out in Game 1 due to a hard foul on Brandon Clarke. The Warriors forward insisted that he did not intend to hurt Clarke and even held on to his jersey to ease the latter’s fall.
However, Green was not suspended and went on to play an important role in Game 2 despite his team's loss.
A look at the Flagrant Two calls in the Warriors-Grizzlies series.
Draymond Green ejected in game 1.
Dillon Brooks ejected in game 2, and suspended for game 3. https://t.co/xI1wGmArko
Green refused to dig in regarding the intent that led to Payton’s injury, but he did stress that the Memphis Grizzlies wanted to make a statement. He said:
“Their desperation explains the Dillon Brooks foul, explains Ja Morant…I’m not one to get off into the ‘Oh is he dirty is he not?’ That’s for you to make your own decision.
"I really don’t care whether someone wants to classify him as dirty, whether you think it was dirty, whether you think it’s not. The reality is it happened. The play happened, Gary Payton is hurt, that’s my only concern.”
The Golden State Warriors know playoff basketball is tough, physical and even chippy. They will look to use Payton’s injury as fuel in the fire to play better.
Draymond Green vowed that the Golden State Warriors will match the Memphis Grizzlies’ physicality
Draymond Green understands that the Memphis Grizzlies will do everything they can to win the postseason, regardless of how young they are. Memphis has been jawing with opponents throughout the year and has kept that edge in the playoffs.
The Golden State Warriors have the more illustrious names in their lineup, but the Memphis Grizzlies have proven all season long that names don’t matter to them. They’ve talked trash to LeBron James and the star-studded LA Lakers and beat them to a pulp.
no words. just watch @JaMorant cook. https://t.co/qnz3iUFfXV
Besides limiting their turnovers, Green sees better physicality from the Warriors as key to winning Game 3. As the series shifts to the Chase Center, fans can expect crucial adjustments from Steve Kerr amid Payton’s absence.
Games 1 and 2 were cliffhangers with palpable physicality throughout both games. Expect more of the same from arguably the NBA’s most entertaining series.