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Draymond Green‘s seventh and last technical foul of the 2016 playoffs was perhaps the pivotal moment that change the entire scope of the NBA Finals, turning a sure-shot 3-1 lead in the series to an unforeseen comeback for the ages for the Cleveland Cavaliers, taking the last three games in a row to earn their first-ever NBA championship.
Instead of joining his teammates and playing in a potential title-clinching game, Green was forced to watch the game from next door to a suite inside the O.co Coliseum while the Oakland Athletics played the Texas Rangers.
“I'll never forget that night,” Green told USA Today Sports' Sam Amick. “That's a big night in my life. It's something that changed me. It's something that woke me up. It's something that taught me a lot, so I appreciate it. I'm not one of those guys who's like bitter that something bad happens to me. I use it, take the lesson from it, and move on.
“You go through certain things in life, and you grow. You learn to appreciate different things. You just really learn from mistakes that you made. I think the most important thing is just growth, in (and of) itself, and just understanding what's in front of you. Never making the same mistakes twice.”
This postseason, Green has taken his lesson learned and managed to play at a very high level with his usual fiery character, but without the excessive need for technical fouls or flagrant fouls — registering only two techs and no flagrant points in 2017.
The undersized power forward continued where he left off, after an outstanding Game 7 in last year's finals (32 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists, two steals) — averaging 13.5 points on 47.5 percent shooting from the field this postseason, along with a 44.8 percent from beyond the arc.
Draymond Green had led the Warriors in rebounds (8.8), assists (6.8), and blocks per game (2.0) through the Golden State Warriors‘ 13-0 run this postseason.
