Draymond Green spoke to reporters Monday night following the Golden State Warriors’ narrow 103-102 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome. “Ready to kill me the other day in the huddle. I think it was rightfully, you know, it’s a right reaction,” Green said, referring to tensions in the final moments.
On the controversial goaltend that led to Warriors coach Steve Kerr’s ejection, Green noted, “Live it looked like a goaltend. I didn’t… I haven’t seen the replay, but live it looked like a goaltend.” He added, “Those were back-to-back plays. That’s five points… it’s tough to make up five points at that point in the game, but our group kept fighting.”
Green praised his team’s effort despite the narrow loss. “Thought we played well. We couldn’t hit shots. A lot of shots that we normally make… but we took care of the ball. We defended without fouling… we forced turnovers. We just didn’t capitalize enough.” He emphasized the takeaway for the Warriors: “Some nights the ball’s just don’t go in… the blueprint is right there. Defend, take care of the ball, give yourself a chance.”
The veteran forward addressed the physicality of matchups, particularly with Clippers center Ivica Zubac. “Physicality with Zubac was always at a high level… he doesn’t shy away from contact, so it’s always a very physical game… I enjoy playing against the young good bigs in this league… as I get older in my career, I embrace those challenges.”
Green also reflected on Steph Curry’s foul-out with 42 seconds remaining. “Steph got us there… you can’t just let go of the rope once he goes out… he did what he had to do, gave us a shot… for us, it’s important to try to finish it. I think we gave ourselves a chance. Came down to the last shot. We missed.”
Despite Curry’s absence and the late-game struggles, Green highlighted positives in the Warriors’ performance. “We forced 20 turnovers, had seven turnovers… we probably should have 130, 140, you know. Some nights the ball’s just don’t go in, but you know the lesson for us is to know what to do to give yourself a chance to win.”
The Warriors fell to 19-18, with Jimmy Butler contributing 24 points alongside Green’s 12 assists. Golden State struggled from deep, hitting just 10 of 41 from three-point range, while Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 24 points and 12 rebounds in the one-point victory.
Golden State hosts the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday to open an eight-game homestand, while the Clippers begin a three-game Eastern trip at New York.
