Draymond Green’s early ejection proved to be a turning point in Saturday’s win for the Golden State Warriors, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area.
Golden State was down 11 points when Green was tossed early in the second quarter after drawing two quick technical fouls, but the moment seemed to jolt the team into action and sparked a comeback that ended a three-game losing streak.
Green’s exit forced the Warriors to rely on collective effort rather than leaning on their emotional leader.
Gary Payton II said the absence pushed everyone to take more responsibility on both ends of the floor.
“Sometimes we take advantage of Draymond, what he does for us, and we count on him to clean up everything. But once he’s out of there, we know we all got to come together and do it collectively. I think everybody felt that. And when we’re doing that as a unit, we can be pretty damn good.”
Green was first penalized for shoving Collin Gillespie and then ejected moments later for directing comments at official Pat Fraher.
After allowing 44 first-quarter points, Golden State tightened up defensively, holding the Phoenix Suns to 31.8 percent shooting over the next two quarters.
Stephen Curry said the situation sharpened the team’s focus, noting that without Green, everyone knew they had to play tougher and stay locked in.
“I think it woke us up. Because we knew without him, we’re going to have to play even tougher, dig deeper down the rotation. I think everybody was kind of on alert and trying to have his back.”
Warriors Notes: Green, Kerr, Curry, Richard, Hield https://t.co/0FjLpY6Ysw pic.twitter.com/rnNPl0e4Kq
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) December 21, 2025
