Memories of the Cleveland Cavaliers beating the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals have mostly been reduced to tired jokes about a lost 3-1 lead, LeBron James' epic chase-down block on Andre Iguodala, and Kyrie Irving's go-ahead, off-dribble three over the outstretched arms of Steph Curry. It's a shame, too, because lost in clichés about the Warriors' collapse and heroic plays from James and Irving was a historic performance from Draymond Green with the Larry O'Brien Trophy on the line.
Steve Kerr, though, certainly hasn't forgotten about the do-it-all forward's quietly dominant performance in Golden State's Game 7 loss.
“He's a big game player. Huge competitor,” he said of Draymond Green on Saturday, per ClutchPoints' Tomer Azarly. I'll never forget his Game 7 against Cleveland even though we lost the game. He hits five threes, had like 32 and 17 or something crazy. Draymond's fearless. He enjoys the big moments.”
Green had 32 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists, and two steals in Game 7. He shot 11-of-15 from the floor and 6-of-8 from beyond the arc, while no other player on the Warriors except Leandro Barbosa, who went 1-of-2, managed even 50 percent shooting from the field. If not for Green's offensive explosion and all-around excellence, Golden State might have been embarrassed by Cleveland – or at least to an even greater extent.
Green, by the way, has always taken his game to another level in the postseason. His career playoff averages of 12.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 5.7 assists dwarf those from the regular season, and he's slightly more efficient when the game really start to matter, too.
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