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In the aftermath of a chippy Game 2 for Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors against the Houston Rockets, the latter evened their first-round series 1-1 after a 109-94 win Wednesday night. In a playoff matchup on the road, Warriors’ Jimmy Butler suffered a pelvic injury, and his head coach, Steve Kerr, addressed Green’s role in the melee. However, Draymond downplayed Game 2’s physicality.
During his postgame media availability, Green revealed he believes the series opener was chippier than what Game 2, per The Athletic’s Anthony Slater.
“I thought it was a little less physical than Game 1,” Green said.
After the Rockets grabbed a 19-point lead with 5:23 remaining, Fred VanVleet and Green were face-to-face before their respective teammates came over to separate them. Still, the situation escalated, per ESPN’s Michael C. Wright.
Green downplayed the incident, saying he and VanVleet were “just talking” and “everybody came and surrounded and started pushing.”
Warriors’ Jimmy Butler will undergo an MRI on Thursday.
Steve Kerr celebrates Draymond Green after losing Game 2
After losing Game 2, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr reminded reporters of Draymond Green’s reputation and the kind of competitor Green has been. The veteran forward is known to trigger opponents into frustrating antics. The exchange between Green and Rockets’ Fred VanVleet, which led to players pushing and shoving, led to a “F*** you, Draymond” chant at the Toyota Center.
After the loss, Kerr addressed the moment, reminding reporters that the language fans used was unsuitable for children like Green’s kids.
“Draymond, he’s been around forever,” Kerr said. “He’s an instigator. He’s always going to be in the mix, and because of his career, his championships, his fire. He’s going to be a lightning rod, and that’s all part of it.
“I would prefer if fans could use a little more discretion and remember the guy has kids. I don’t know, maybe I’m old school. But I’m all for fans cheering for their team, and if they want to yell at the opponents, great. But I just think ‘F you’ is a little much,” Kerr concluded.
For Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, he embraced the physicality endured between the two teams in the opening games of their first-round series.
“If it gets chippy, we’ve seen over the last two years that’s worked in our favor for the most part, gets us amped up,” Udoka said. “But when you have a lead, [and you’re] up 20, and things start to happen, you understand why.”
The Warriors will host the Rockets in Game 3 on Saturday.
