Draymond Green's ejection in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals series between the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies raised a lot of confusion around the NBA. After all, many believe that the foul shouldn't have warranted a Flagrant 2.
To recall, Green hit Brandon Clarke late in the second quarter and grabbed his jersey while he was airborne before seemingly pulling him down, which was definitely a dangerous play. However, fans and players alike thought it's not an ejection-worthy offense given that it doesn't look excessive considering how the Warriors star slowed down the fall and tried to catch the Grizzlies forward.
Naturally, officials attempted to explain the decision and why it was ruled a Flagrant 2 instead of just a Flagrant 1. According to crew chief Kane Fitzgerald, the hit to the face played a role in the call.
Article Continues Below“Well, there's a couple things. The first part was the wind up and significant contact to the face, and then the pull down from the jersey grab and throw down to the floor to an airborne vulnerable player makes that unnecessary and excessive. That's what led to the flagrant foul penalty two,” Fitzgerald said, via Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated.
For what it's worth, Draymond Green has since broken his silence on the issue and claimed that his reputation played a role in the rather controversial call. However, he put the blame on himself for not realizing it earlier that he'll be officiated that way.
“I'm actually dumb enough to think that I wasn't going to get a Flagrant 1. Talk about an idiot. You want to call anyone an idiot, look no further than Draymond Green himself,” Green said after their 117-116 win.
Whatever the case may be, it's a lesson learned for Green. He needs to be more careful when it comes to his on-court antics if he wants to stay on the court longer and help the Warriors.