Draymond Green may not be the Golden State Warriors’ best player, but he surely is their emotional backbone, the heart and soul that fuels them with the necessary competitive fire, especially after their success over the past decade. Whether up or down by 20, Green remains unabashedly himself — sometimes to a fault.
But on Tuesday night, Green’s impact was in full display as the Warriors were able to overcome a 20-point deficit to claim a much-needed victory over the New Orleans Pelicans to regain the coveted sixth spot in the Western Conference standings.
Speaking with Chris Haynes of TNT immediately after wrapping up a 120-109 win, Draymond Green revealed the change in mindset that helped spark the Warriors’ comeback — with the fiery forward in the middle of their efforts to turn things around.
“We started playing with some heart and intensity. That first quarter and a half, they punked us. And we were down 20. It take a real one to talk when you down 20. And I was able to get my guys going, and then they started doing what they do, and I can do what I do,” Green remarked.
“I just told them they weren’t cut like that. That’s not what they do.”
Back in the second quarter, Draymond Green decided to bear the cross of being the Pelicans’ number one enemy. Not only did he run over Herb Jones, resulting in a physical entanglement wherein the two had to be separated, he also gave Brandon Ingram a mean shove that resulted in a flagrant and technical foul for the Warriors forward — a double black eye.
Little did the Pelicans know that they were playing right into Green’s wheelhouse; following the aforementioned altercations, Green relished the opportunity of engaging in a war of words with the Pelicans, specifically with CJ McCollum.
“[After the Ingram foul], CJ started talking. […] And that’s my type of game. I like that. That’s what I do. I grew up in Saginaw, Michigan. That’s how we play. […] I enjoy that,” Green added. “They made the decision to try and go at me [and get my fifth foul] the very next play, and it was a turnover. […] You thought you get my fifth, and now you allowed me to talk again. And that was beautiful.”
The Warriors will want to carry over the momentum from this comeback victory when they take on the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night.
Source: clutchpoints
