In the NBA, there are those who lead by example, those who lead with morale, those who are vocal leaders and then there is Draymond Green, who does all of these things and a little bit extra for the Golden State Warriors.

Entering Wednesday night's Game 5 against the Los Angeles Lakers, Green and the Warriors faced a 3-1 deficit as the defending champions. With their season on the verge of collapse and major question marks surrounding the dynasty they have built, something needed to change for this veteran group.

Actually, nothing needed to change, they just needed to realize who they were!

Two-time MVP Stephen Curry has done everything he can to try and carry the Warriors back to the NBA Finals this season, but it has become very clear he alone will not be able to take Golden State back to the promise land.

“Strength In Numbers” has been the mantra of the Warriors for quite some time now and when they needed him most, Green stepped up and led his team in a way only he can.

The Warriors emerged victorious in Game 5, defeating the Lakers 121-106 to extend this series and keep their season alive. Draymond Green finished this game with 20 points on 7-11 shooting, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.

All-in-all, this was one of the best performances Green has had all year long and it is not surprising that he came through in a “win or go home” atmosphere.

“He was very important,” Warriors wing Moses Moody told NBC Sports Bay Area. “The leadership, obviously, the energy. You know, he has a way of controlling the energy and winning the mental battle as well.”

As good as Draymond's numbers were in Game 5, all the little things- playing with pace, bringing energy every possession, making the extra effort for loose balls and making the extra pass- do not necessarily show up in the box score.

This is really where Green's impact was felt and why his aura during a game resonates with his teammates.

Draymond Green is not perfect though, and this season is a great example of this. He has been chastised on numerous occasions for the technical fouls he picks up.

Stomping on Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis earlier in the playoffs drew a ton of criticism and how could we forget Green punching Jordan Poole before the start of the season?

Obviously, he has done a lot of things wrong, but at the end of the day, Green commands the respect of his teammates and coaches because of the way he leads when facing such adversity.

This is what makes him a special player for the Warriors- and the veteran addressed this sense of confidence in his postgame remarks on Wednesday night.

“For one, we have a coach who is one of the greatest winners in NBA history and you lean on him in situations like this,” Green said of head coach Steve Kerr. “His calmness, everyone feels that. And then it starts up top. Steph's calmness and it goes on down the line. I think for us, anytime it's kind of going stray, you just lean back on what you know that works, on your foundation.”

Wednesday night marked the second time this postseason that Green had eclipsed 20 points in a game, as he did so in an important Game 5 against the Kings in the first-round when he scored 21 points.

Known more for his ability to impact the game in other ways than scoring, this is the first time that Green has recorded multiple 20-point games in the playoffs since 2017.

What is more important is that the Warriors have won six straight playoff games when their leader scores 20 or more points.

Many who face a deficit in the playoffs tend to play a lot more conservative in order to try and limit their mistakes. For Draymond though, staying aggressive and attacking his opponents on both ends of the floor has always been the way he plays, and Green has made it clear he will never change that.

“I think you just expect it in a situation like this where you're facing elimination,” Steve Kerr said after the win. “Draymond is one of the great competitors I've ever been around. So you just expect him to bring it. I didn't say anything to him. He doesn't need any pep talks from me, that's for sure.”

When Green plays well, this entire team plays well simply because they feed off of his energy. Defensively, Green was able to get stops on Anthony Davis and others, resulting in fast break scoring opportunities at the other end for the Warriors in Game 5.

Being able to help push the pace, Green helped the Warriors score on various occasions before the Lakers' defense was fully set.

At the same time, instead of stopping when he brings the ball across midcourt and looking to be a passer, Draymond kept his motor running. Due to the fact that he is not a dangerous shooter like Klay Thompson or Stephen Curry, the Lakers were more than content to let Green try and score.

What they did not expect, though, was for him to attack the paint time and time again without kicking the ball out to the perimeter.

This completely opened things up for the Warriors on the offensive end of the floor and moving forward, this performance from Draymond Green scoring in the paint puts a lot of pressure on Los Angeles' defense.

They now have to account for Green playing aggressive and getting to the basket, which could open up the extra inch of space Curry, Thompson or someone else needs to hit a big three in any game.

Scoring 20 points in every playoff game moving forward would obviously be fantastic for Green and the Warriors, but he does not necessarily need this scoring output in order for the team to find success.

By leading with his aggressiveness and assertiveness against the Lakers, Green will put Golden State in a scenario where they can not only capture Game 6 on the road but force a Game 7 and potentially win this series.

“Just go out with the same mindset. Aggressive on both ends of the floor, attacking,” Draymond said. “For me, that was my mindset from the gate to just attack. Whether I was shooting a three, whether I was going to the hole, whether it was defensively, just attack. That will be my same mindset going to Los Angeles as our job isn't done. We are still facing elimination and we will be facing elimination for the rest of this series.

“Back against the wall, you got to come out fighting.”

The Warriors are not quite done yet and if there is one team that can come back from a 3-1 deficit in these playoffs, it is the defending NBA champions.

The more locked-in, faster and stronger they play, the better the chances are of the Warriors coming back to San Francisco to force a decisive Game 7.