Watch: Draymond Green smacks Jusuf Nurkic across the face adding to his history of ugly fouls
Draymond Green was in the headlines a few weeks ago for choking Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert. The NBA suspended him for five games following his controversial action, which he claimed to have done in defense of teammate Klay Thompson.
Gobert held Thompson during the Warriors star’s altercation with Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels. After serving his suspension, Green vowed that he would never change.
Tuesday night’s matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns, as always, was highly anticipated. Although Kevin Durant was unavailable due to an injury, there was still plenty of star power. The Suns have kept the game close despite Durant’s absence.
Early in the third quarter, a play that was expected to have a big impact late in the game happened.
Golden State had a 65-60 lead with possession of the ball. Brandin Podziemski was on the sideline trying to put the ball in play. The rookie couldn’t pass the ball to Steph Curry so he turned to Draymond Green who was jostling with Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic.
From out of nowhere, the former Defensive Player out of the Year lashed out at Jurkic and smacked the Suns big man on the face. Nurkic lay flat on the floor grimacing after the hit. The play happened right in front of the Golden State Warriors who looked confused and shocked.
Draymond Green could be facing another suspension
Draymond Green has been suspended on more than a few occasions before. The NBA, when giving out disciplinary actions, has often mentioned “repeat offenders” as having a bigger chance of getting suspended. Green squarely meets that description.
The Golden State Warriors hold a 10-12 record and are still looking to find some rhythm. Steve Kerr’s team has also been dealing with injuries from different players. If Green is suspended, it will only be a distraction and setback that the team could have done without.
The Warriors are not strangers to this kind of situation when it comes to Draymond Green. They will just be hoping that the NBA will not excessively punish him. Kerr mentioned a few weeks ago that his veterans should have more composure. Green, though, has been here before and has shown no signs of changing.
The Golden State Warriors will have to live with the consequences of Green's latest controversial action.