Close friends:
Green, Durant also have history of conflict
Long before they clashed Monday night in Los Angeles, abruptly pumping tension into the Warriors’ season, Draymond Green and Kevin Durant created a different kind of angst — because of their close friendship.
Flash back to May 2016, when Green and Golden State tussled with Durant and Oklahoma City in the Western Conference finals. Green became the villain in that series, kicking Thunder center Steven Adams in the groin during Game 3.
This did not endear Green to OKC players, who already were bothered by Durant’s relationship with Green. As recounted later by NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Durant irritated Russell Westbrook and his teammates by spending time with Green off the court
suit of a third straight NBA title. Green tends not to forget when he feels he has been wronged. And there are few easier ways to ruin team chemistry than having an emotional leader unhappy.
“I know there are people that think we’re a perfect place,” general manager Bob Myers said. “We’re not. We do our best just like everyone else. I think it’s what we do after these things occur that separates the good organizations. … How you handle things after they happen is the most important thing.”
Without Green and Stephen Curry (strained left groin), the Warriors overcame a threepoint halftime deficit against Atlanta, riding Durant (29 points), Klay Thompson (24 points), Quinn Cook (18 points) and Jonas Jerebko (14 points, 13 rebounds) to their second win in four games.
Seeing his team play stingy defense, spread the floor and move the ball was a comforting sight for head coach Steve Kerr on a day that had felt all too unusual. After reviewing video of Green’s expletive-filled tirade at the end of regulation of Monday’s overtime loss to the Clippers, Golden State suspended him without pay, costing Green $120,480.
It was the franchise’s way of making sure that no player belittles a teammate in the heat of a game.
“Proud of them,” Kerr said of his players’ performance against the Hawks. “Just coming in a little fatigued, a little emotionally spent, and we had to grind it out. Proud of the guys.”
After Green dribbled upcourt and lost control of the ball to end regulation Monday against the Clippers, Durant was upset that Green didn’t find him for a possible gamewinning shot. TV cameras caught Green and Durant yelling at each other on the bench during the ensuing huddle.
Green challenged Durant about his impending free agency and repeatedly called him a bitch, according to a league source. After Golden State fell 121-116 in overtime, teammates confronted Green about his decision during that late sequence. Green adamantly defended his choice.
But after hours of deliberation about Green’s behavior, Kerr and Myers agreed to ban him for Tuesday’s game. It was Green’s first suspension since he sat out Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals, and it was Golden State’s first team-sanctioned suspension in the Kerr era.
Durant said he has yet to hash things out with Green. Asked whether Green crossed a line with anything he said Monday, Durant said, “I’m going to keep that in house. That’s what we do here. Obviously, I know you guys have a job to do, but I’m not trying to give anyone any headlines. What happened, happened. I’m just trying to move on and play basketball.”
The Warriors opened out of sorts offensively and entered halftime down 52-49. Durant missed 14 of his 23 shots in the game and had four turnovers.
Not until the fourth quarter were the Warriors able to push their lead above 10 points. Though they extended their lead to 15 with 7:55 left, Atlanta was able to cut it to five with less than two minutes to go behind a 19-9 run led by former Warriors swingman Kent Bazemore, who scored seven of his 18 points in that stretch.
The question now is whether Golden State’s second-half surge to escape against a rebuilding team can help it move past a rare bit of internal strife.
Though Myers said the three-time All Star was professional when he was informed of the suspension, Green might not agree that his actions warranted him losing money. There is also the matter of how Green and Durant will mend their relationship.
“I think we’ll be fine,” Kerr said. “We’re a team that goes through stuff just like everybody else. Things happen, bumps in the road. You’ve got to move forward. That’s all a part of coaching a team. That’s all a part of being on a team. You have to get through the adversity.”