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Sharp Warriors forward Draymond Green is considered one of the smartest basketball players in the NBA, but Monday night against the San Antonio Spurs he was a few light years too many of the competition.
It was a back-and-forth affair in San Antonio, with lead changes throughout. A three-point by Spurs guard Dejounte Murray – who had 27 points, eight rebounds and eight steals – places the home team 101-97 with 12.6 seconds left. Dubs star Steph Curry (32 points, game record) hit a triple seconds later to reduce the deficit to just one point. The Spurs had two free throws, and the Dubs recovered the ball in the frontcourt 103-100 with 8.7 seconds left.
Everyone knew where the warriors wanted to to get the ball, but the inbounds have instead gone to Green, an 18.9% three-point shooter this season. Green predicted a foul in San Antonio, a common tactic in a three-point game to prevent the losing team from putting things together. The Spurs, however, had (wisely) no interest in hacking Green when they could try their luck with him throwing a jumper that has about the same success rate as Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer registering a hit in a National League game.
The result: the back line lifted almost halfway through the pitch.
In the end, it’s a fun and miserable play, and not the reason the Warriors lost. The green was mostly excellent. As coach Steve Kerr noted, Golden State’s 20 turnovers were much more of a problem. Further, Kerr told reporters: “Spurs usually don’t fault in these situations. Probably my fault for not telling the team.”
So this is it. Green will have to live this one and will almost certainly take a deserved rib from his teammates. But it doesn’t seem like anyone in the organization is too upset – nor should they be.
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