Draymond Green sparks Warriors to win with 17th tech, scrum

 Draymond Green sparks Warriors to win with 17th tech, scrum

 

In the second quarter of the Golden State Warriors game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, Draymond Green was aware that his team needed to improve.

 

The Warriors lacked enthusiasm and intensity during the game's dismal opening period, which had a significant impact on the playoff race. Up to that moment, they had made 14 errors. They failed to slow down New Orleans. They had a 19-point deficit.

 

After the Warriors' 120-109 victory, coach Steve Kerr claimed that Draymond "willed us to victory tonight." "Simply the intensity and early unhappiness with our playing style. They were yelling at me, their bench, and everyone else in the world because, quite honestly, we deserved it."

 

With 3:45 left in the second quarter, Green received his 17th technical foul, which served as his first spurt.

 

Brandon Ingram, a forward for the Pelicans, appeared to be shoved by Green after he drove from the perimeter into the basket. Ingram approached Green as he was returning to the court from the baseline, and the two exchanged words before pushing one other.

 

They received Ts, and for the shove, Green was also given a flagrant foul 1.

 

If the technical offense isn't overturned within the next 24 hours, which Green feels ought to happen, Green will be penalized $5,000. He claimed that it was still worthwhile to him even if it didn't.

 

"It was flawless. flawlessly carried out, "Reddish said. "For the first 18 minutes, we seemed lifeless. We needed to locate some sort of energy. It wasn't just going to happen, especially given our recent loss, which can carry over. My gut told me it did. Before the game got out of hand, I felt we had to act quickly and take some action."

 

After a collision with Herbert Jones around 20 seconds later, Green almost received another technical flag. Green hit Jones as he was driving for a layup and fell on top of the man. Before being untangled, the two became entangled.

 

Before referees and team security broke up the melee, more pushing and shoving among several players took place. No Ts were assigned following a thorough video analysis.

 

When Green stepped onto the court, he said, "I've got to play with the same intensity I try to play with every time I foot on the floor." "I can't stress over it. For me, there's no use in stepping outside if I'm going to modify how intense I am."

 

Green constantly uses his words to motivate his players. Before a confrontation with Jordan Poole earlier this season, he claimed, he had faith that his teammates had his back.

 

"You hope guys will back me up at the moment where I'm going to put myself out there like that," said Green. If not, our season is already finished.

 

Stephen Curry joined the melee after Green collided with Jones, shouting at Pelicans players and pushing a number of them.

 

Curry stated, "He knows the players are behind him. "If [Green] didn't have that confidence, I'm sure he wouldn't venture out onto an island like that. When things start to go in the wrong direction in terms of keeping the focus on merely winning, I have to keep him in line and rein him in."

 

The Warriors were down by as much as 20 points, including 17 in the opening period. Yet in the second half, they outscored the Pelicans 74-46, including by shooting 70%, to mount their second-largest comeback of the year.

 

In the second half, Curry scored 22 of his 38 points. For the Warriors, he was the source of 58 of 120 (48%) of their points, including 37 of 74 (50%) in the second half.

 

He created the majority of the Warriors' shots, going 8 of 14 from the field while dribbling, while his teammates made 8 of 11 shots off of his passes.

 

Green remarked, "[Curry] turned it up another two notches when I turned it up a notch. "We all joined the line, followed him, and then he was imprisoned. Nobody was preventing him."

 

The playoff feel permeated Tuesday's game, whether it was due to the playoff-like competitiveness of both teams, the atmosphere inside Chase Center, or the significance of the game for each team.

 

After the victory, Golden State reclaimed the sixth seed in the Western Conference, moving ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves in seventh place by a game and a half.

 

But each final game in the regular season will have a postseason vibe and urgency to it.

 

"It feels like we've been in a playoff vibe for a couple weeks now," Curry said. "The only distinction is that every night you play a different squad. But the adrenaline rush we're experiencing is the same. Every game is significant."