SAN FRANCISCO — So much for any remaining mutual respect between Draymond Green and Jusuf Nurkic. In their first matchup since Green struck the Phoenix Suns big man in the face in mid-December, drawing an indefinite suspension mandated by both the NBA and his team, the Golden State Warriors star certainly didn't back away from further confrontation on Saturday night at Chase Center.
Green's typically impactful two-way performance was instrumental in the Warriors' thrilling 113-112 victory, their first one-point win of the season after losing their previous four games decided by that slimmest of margins. He finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and nine assists on 7-of-9 shooting, serving as both Golden State's lead playmaker and back-line rim-protector.
Draymond Green fires back at Jusuf Nurkic
After the game, though, another encouraging Dubs win, a stellar effort from Green nor Stephen Curry's final-seconds heroics is what dominated discussions in the halls, tunnels and interview rooms of Chase Center. Nurkic's inflammatory comments about how Green “didn't learn anything” during his suspension ruled the day, and it's not hard to see why.
"It's sad. He didn't learn anything. Just a matter of time. He's going to hit somebody else again. Take back everything I said. He don't deserve a chance."
Jusuf Nurkic on Draymond Green, who got suspended after hitting him in face Dec. 12.
"Antics. Try to hit people." #Suns pic.twitter.com/fEF2hLJuyS
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) February 11, 2024
Green, shocker, didn't mince words when asked for his response to Nurkic's pointed critique.
“I mean, I thought I was pretty great tonight, honestly. I thought, you know, he tried to get in my head. It didn’t work,” he said of Nurkic. “If he want me to walk around quite like him, I’m never gonna do that. Quiet guys don’t win. So yeah, I thought I was pretty great tonight. So yeah, he can keep riding the same horse he rode in on. He can ride his a** on out of here on the same horse. It ain’t working.”
Curry forcefully pushed back on the notion Green failed to learn from his suspension, insisting Nurkic's criticism was just further evidence of Green getting in his head. Green, even if it was in half jest, went on to prove Curry right.
After cussing while telling Nurkic where to ride his horse, Green quickly apologized to NBA commissioner Adam Silver for a “slip” of the NSFW tongue.
“Sorry, Adam. I didn't mean to curse,” he said. “That just slipped out. God. Sorry.”
Draymond Green to @ColinCBSSports on Jusuf Nurkic saying he ‘didn’t learn anything’ during suspension: “He can keep riding the same horse he came in on. He can ride his ass out of here on the same horse.”
Then apologized to Adam Silver for cussing. pic.twitter.com/sWfeoUIhxa
— Jack Winter (@ArmstrongWinter) February 11, 2024
Green earned his first technical foul since returning from his ban a few minutes into the third quarter. After catching a dump-off from Andrew Wiggins, he up-faked, felt contact from behind by Devin Booker, then finished a layup, angrily gesticulating to the officials for an and-1.
Draymond Green got a technical foul on this bucket.
Good or bad call?pic.twitter.com/gDobbcHvjn
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 11, 2024
Green exchanged extra aggressive “too small” gestures with Nurkic after they traded post scores through one another, too.
Draymond Green does the "Too Small" taunt after the bucket on Jusuf Nurkic 😅pic.twitter.com/VotAdWf8eg
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 11, 2024
Friday's victory moves Golden State to 7-3 over the last 10 games—two of those losses coming by one point and the other in overtime. After another win over a team like Phoenix in a playoff-level atmosphere, there's no doubting the Warriors' midseason turnaround is for real.
Just as obvious? Green is the one driving it most, even while just toeing the line of antagonism and gamesmanship he so often used to cross to find success.
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