Draymond Green is often seen as one of the dirtiest players in the NBA, and his antics were on show again during the Golden State Warriors’ recent 115-113 win over the Houston Rockets. During the third quarter, Green grabbed Jabari Smith Jr.’s ankle during a dead-ball sequence, resulting in a technical foul.
The incident occurred with 9:49 remaining in the third quarter after Smith was called for an offensive foul on a moving screen that sent Green tumbling to the floor. Now, the Warriors’ veteran has addressed the incident, claiming that it was Smith Jr.’s trash talk that led him to commit the foul.
“So Jabari took the foul, stood there like, ‘Hell yeah, get more physical. Yeah, I pushed him down.’ Well me being who I am, I don’t think anyone should let that happen, but I’m definitely not letting that happen. Only thing I can do in that moment is what I did. I think the one thing that people don’t understand about this game is you can’t give people an edge in the NBA. You give somebody an edge you lose, and I wasn’t going to give him an edge and we won,” Green explained on the Draymond Green Show.
While Green did not reveal what it was that the Rockets player said, the Warriors’ veteran could be seen tugging at his ankle as he walked back up-court.
“In a situation where Jabari was struggling mightily, you're not going to find your edge on that play, and I’m not going to be the guy that you foul, and I fall down and you stand over me and walk over me and talk,” he concluded.
Smith had missed the previous two games with a right ankle sprain and entered the matchup listed as questionable before ultimately being cleared after pregame warmups. Since the incident, many have clamored for the NBA to hand out a harsher punishment, especially considering Green’s problematic history.
However, the player himself appeared to have no regrets and ended up playing his part in a surprising win, finishing with 10 points, eight assists and five rebounds on the night.
