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DALLAS – While the Golden State Warriors continue to repair the internal damage caused by a verbal altercation between Kevin Durant and Draymond Green during and after Monday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers club, leader Stephen Curry is says "extremely proud" of the way the team has been meeting since.
"It's different, it's tough," Curry said Saturday before the Warriors' 112-109 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, their third defeat in four games. "Obviously, it's bad to be able to play, it's annoying when you're not with the team when it happens, but I think the way we treated it as a team, the way Draymond managed the situation, the way KD handled it was only professionalism and understanding, it's about the team, and the conversations we've had, whether it's one-on-one, as a team, keep this in mind.
"We have the opportunity to do something extremely special this year – there will be ups and downs and bumps on the road, whether self-inflicted or coming from outside.
Draymond Green's words – Thursday and a few weeks before Monday's incident with Kevin Durant – open a window into how Golden State plans to get closer to this season.
Warriors forward Draymond Green will miss at least one game with a sprained foot while the Warriors "have decided to give him some rest," coach Steve Kerr said.
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"And at the end of the day, nothing should distract us from our goal, I think that guys have tried and will continue to come to a place where we can continue to go forward, back to who we are. are as a team – and once we have overcome these injuries, we will be able to show what we are doing as a team and do it together, so I am extremely proud of how we handled the situation last week possibility of imploding and really collapse, but that's not going to happen. "
Curry, absent since Nov. 8 with a left groin injury, spoke Saturday for the first time since the injury and altercation between Durant and Green, a suspension that resulted in a suspension. a match for the latter. Curry remains confident that his teammates will be able to move forward.
"They have a lot of equity in their relationship," Curry said about Durant and Green. "We won championships together, they put together the best of each, obviously I do not think they had an incident of this level, but you do not have the experience that you have lived and gone on the journey that we have undertaken and left derailed by something like that, obviously from a personal point of view, there are things that need to be sorted out. Any relationship in life, but at the end of the day, they both understand that none of them will be one of the reasons why we will not win a championship this year, so I can ride with that. "
Warrior owner Joe Lacob told the San Francisco Chronicle that, although Green "goes beyond what we feel is appropriate" in his argument with Durant, the Warriors treat things "very appropriately".
"It's totally a management problem," said Lacob. "[General manager] Bob Myers and our head coach Steve Kerr are in it. And they treat him very well. "
The team's decision to reprimand one player and not the other has raised questions as to whether the Warriors grant preferential treatment to Durant, who will be a free agent after the season. Lacob rejected this notion.
"I've read and heard everything people talk about – we choose one person over another," Lacob told Chronicle. "We do not choose anyone over anyone."
Lacob says Green understands the situation too.
"He understands that, by the way," said Lacob. "I sent a text message with him, and he understands perfectly.I have an excellent relationship with him and I always do it."
For his part, Curry is happy to meet his teammates after not having traveled with the group in Los Angeles for Monday's game. Kerr has repeatedly praised Curry's leadership ability and is happy to find him on the bench and in the locker room as tension within the team has grown.
"It's hard because I want to be with my brothers when things go wrong," Curry said. "Win, lose or draw, I want to be there to live everything in. The wounds are difficult, and they are part of the game, I know it's for that reason that I was not there, but to the end of the day, as I have said, the way we have reacted and progressed – can not be more proud of the way we have handled this. "
Curry loves what he has seen in his group these last few days to go from the front.
"Obviously, I'm a leader," he said. "I've been through a lot of things with these guys, I've been here for the longest time, I understand exactly the culture we've created here, and I will not let that happen, I could talk about everything. the different conversations that have taken place, whether I'm included or not – again, it's just the way we progress as a team. "I just love it. When I was in the locker room in Houston, on the bench, guys know how to have fun, how to have fun and understand what a special group we have. dragged. "
Curry also praised Kerr's ability to navigate the treacherous emotional terrain of the past week, based on the idea that a crush will not have a lasting impact on a team that is trying to win consecutive NBA championships.
"Very authentic in terms of not covering anything with sugar," Kerr's Curry said. "Understand the reality of the situation but also try to keep us focused on how we are going to progress as a team, which is really the most important thing.An incident that occurred in November can not taint the six months to come. what we try He spoke about it clearly, and I think it is important. "
Curry is also confident that he will return to the ground in the near future. He started doing more individual work on the field as he returned. It will be re-evaluated in another week.
"Progress is moving in the right direction," Curry said. "I have not had any setbacks or anything like that, but it's more important to get a full range of movements, do it without pain and with things like that." I can tell you anything you want, it's obviously a new solution for me, so I want to be cautious, but I know we're going in the right direction. do not know how long it will last, but that's all I can ask. "
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