Draymond Green received his initial ejection of the season on Monday evening after an altercation with Dillon Brooks at the Chase Center.
The confrontation began when Green and Phoenix center Khaman Maluach became entangled in the lane during their 116-113 victory against the Suns on Monday. This triggered the entire dispute in the third quarter. Maluach seemed to shake Green off and sent him to the floor early in that period, which left him open for a pass in the lane.
Clearly frustrated, Green quickly sprang up and grabbed Maluach as he attempted a layup. Green continued his aggressive play and threw Maluach to the ground.
Although there was a brief pause following that, Brooks rushed over to confront Green. The two engaged in a quick exchange under the basket before being separated.
Green received two technical fouls leading to his ejection: the first for throwing Maluach down and the second due to the altercation with Brooks, who also received a technical foul for his involvement in the situation. This represented Green’s first ejection of the season and the 23rd of his regular-season career.
Green concluded the night with four points and four rebounds. At 36 years old, he is currently navigating his 15th season in the league this fall.
Even after losing Green early on, the Warriors rallied back in the third quarter, propelled by an 18-point performance from Stephen Curry, allowing them to re-enter the game. They maintained their lead down the stretch to clinch the three-point victory.
Devin Booker was the leading scorer for the Suns, finishing with 26 points in the loss, which pushed their record to 1-4 for the season. Miles Bridges contributed 21 points, while Brooks ended with 18 points and eight rebounds.
Curry finished with an impressive 34 points, along with 7 assists and 6 rebounds for the Warriors. Brandin Podziemski contributed 20 points, and Charles Bassey achieved a career-high 19 points off the bench, hitting 7-of-10 from the field. The Warriors now hold a record of 5-3 this season.
Although they secured the win, it’s likely that Green’s recent ejection will have implications for him in the days to come.
