A shoving match between Draymond Green and Desmond Bane led to a bigger kerfuffle during the second quarter of Wednesday’s game between the Warriors and Grizzlies at Chase Center.
It was the latest exchange that Green has found himself a part of this season, though it was far less controversial than previous instances.
The whole fracas started after an exchange between Green and Santi Aldama under the basket, which led to Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins trying to have a word with a referee at the next stoppage of play.
Desmond Bane and Draymond Green given offsetting technical fouls for their role in a scrum between the Grizzlies and Warriors. Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins was knocked down as “the scrum just got pushed back into him.” pic.twitter.com/WMdKVhztbo— The Comeback (@thecomeback) March 21, 2024
Green got too close to Jenkins for Bane’s liking and tried to push him away, and that ignited the drama further and led to the Warriors’ Gary Payton II attempting to pull Green away as other players and officials tried to get in the middle of the situation.
At some point, Payton and Green got pushed into Jenkins, who had his back turned while re-engaging with the referee, sending the Memphis coach to the floor.
Green, questionable coming into the game with low back tightness, and Bane were each assessed technicals, and the situation cooled down from there.
“We have a history with this team and it’s always been very competitive,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “They’re tough. When we play them there’s usually some kind of dustup.”
The two were even seen shaking hands moments later in a show of respect for one another.
Draymond Green pulls the jersey of Santi Aldama in the first half of the Warriors game vs. the Grizzlies. Getty Images
It has been an interesting season, to say the least, for Green, who was suspended twice this year for physical altercations on the court.
In November, he was banished by the league for putting Rudy Gobert of the Timberwolves in a headlock.
In December, he was suspended indefinitely by the NBA after he hit Jusuf Nurkic of the Suns with a spinning back fist.
Warriors forward Draymond Green drives to the basket on Santi Aldama during the second quarter. D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
The NBA cited his “repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts” as the reasoning behind the hefty ban.
Green — who entered the night averaging 8.8 points per game, 7.1 assists and 6.0 assists — finished with 10 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.
Stephen Curry also reached 300 3-pointers for an NBA-record fifth season and scored 14 points with four 3s, one of seven players in double figures in the Warriors’ 137-116 blowout win over the Grizzlies.
— with AP