The Golden State Warriors lost star forward Draymond Green very early in Wednesday night's game on the road against the Orlando Magic, as the four-time NBA All-Star got tossed out of the contest before the first period could even end.
Green was sent to the showers after incurring two technical fouls for arguing with the game's officials. He left the game having played only four minutes and recording three rebounds, an assist, and zero points on 0-for-1 shooting from the floor.
The game was tied at 6-6 at the time of Green getting thrown out of the playing court. The Warriors then inserted Moses Moody into the game as a replacement for Green, who will have to watch the rest of the contest from the locker room.
The Warriors are already playing without power forward Jonathan Kuminga due to a knee issue, so Green's ejection makes Golden State's frontcourt thinner. Trayce Jackson-Davis and Kevon Looney can be expected to see heavier minutes than usual to help fill the void left by Green, who entered the Orland game averaging 8.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per outing.
Green's absence the rest of the way doesn't bode well for the Warriors, especially on the defensive side of the floor. For one, Green is leading the team among players with regular minutes in terms of defensive rating and he is second on the team â just behind Stephen Curry â with a 1.3 Value Over Replacement Player.
Stephen Curry reacts to Draymond Green's ejection from Magic game
Speaking of Curry, the two-time league Most Valuable Player looked dejected after Green's ejection, shaking his head on the sidelines while getting consoled by Golden State head coach Steve Kerr. Curry knows how important Green is to the Warriors, and not having the forward inside the court lowers Golden State's chances to win against the Magic.
Steph Curry couldn't hide his frustration following Draymond Green's early ejection in Warriors-Magic đpic.twitter.com/7GnD2F1GEk https://t.co/EFXCbUa4AP
â ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 27, 2024
The Warriors ended the first half with an eight-point lead (45-37), but that was actually 16 at the start of the second quarter. Golden State outscored the Magic in the first quarter despite Green's early dismissal, 27-11, but Orlando gained plenty of ground in the second period wherein they put up 26 points to just 18 by the Warriors.
Curry finished the first half with just six points on a salty 2-for-9 shooting from the field, including a 0-for-3 line from behind the arc. Meanwhile, Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson each had seven points to lead Golden State in the first half.
The Warriors certainly will come out of halftime with some adjustments to their game plan, with Green not part of the equation.
For what it's worth, the Warriors are fourth in the league in third-quarter scoring and seventh in fourth-quarter scoring with averages of 30.4 points and 28.7 points in those respective periods.
Warriors are fighting for Play-in Tournament spot
The Warriors can't afford to relax. They are still inside the Play-in Tournament picture, but they are barely clinging to the 10th spot in the Western Conference standings. A loss to the Magic and a win by the Houston Rockets over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday would have the Dubs sliding down to the 11th spot. That must also be why Curry was not so happy about Green being out so early in the Magic game.
The Warriors need all hands on deck against an impressive Magics squad that had won seven of its last 10 outings going into the showdown versus the Dubs, and with Kuminga out and Green ejected, Golden State has increased pressure to score a win tonight.
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