[Sport] Draymond Green hit an opponent again and received his third expulsion of the year in the NBA: “I think he needs help”

[FNX Magokiler]

In a tense and disputed match between the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns, veteran Draymond Green was involved in a controversy that culminated in his expulsion, after slapping Jusuf Nurkic in the face. The incident occurred with 8:23 minutes left in the third quarter, at which time the fight for position under the basket intensified.

Green, who was trying to position himself in front of Nurkic in the paint, reacted with a slap that sent the Suns center to the ground. This act did not go unnoticed by the referees who, after reviewing the play, classified the action as flagrant type 2, a foul that entails the direct expulsion of the player. As a result, Green took the walk to the locker room, leaving his team one man down for a crucial part of the game.

The situation became even more delicate when, at the end of the game that ended with a victory for the Suns (119-116), Green appeared before the media to apologize publicly to Nurkic. The Warriors player seemed remorseful and clarified that his intention was not to cause harm. “He was grabbing my hip and I was moving to try to get the officials to see a foul and making contact with him,” Green explained. “I apologize to Jusuf because he had no intention of hitting him.”

Green repeatedly reiterated his regret, acknowledging the level of impact of his action. In a gesture of unusual candor, he classified the incident as unfortunate and stressed the accidental nature of the contact.

On the other hand, Jusuf Nurkic gave his perspective on the events in a statement after the game, emphasizing in an ironic tone his concern for Green's mental health.

 

 

“I'm glad he didn't try to drown me,” Nurkic said, alluding to another earlier Green incident. The Suns center expressed his desire to focus on the game rather than physical confrontations, suggesting Green might need help managing his on-court behavior.

This event marks Green's third ejection of the current season and adds another chapter to his history of controversial encounters. Previously, in November, Green had an altercation with Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves, which also led to him being removed from the game and facing a five-game suspension imposed by the NBA. The league has indicated that his history of unsportsmanlike behavior has been a key factor in determining the sanctions he faces.

In April, the 34-year-old power forward stepped on the chest of his opponent during a game against the Sacramento Kings. With seven minutes left in a vibrant game, Domanta Sabonis was on the ground after falling in the fight for a rebound, from there he grabbed the foot of a Green who wanted to go on the counterattack and the Warriors center did not hesitate to attack him. “The explanation (they gave me) was that I stepped on him too hard,” he said at a press conference after that meeting.

While Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson depend on Green's presence on the court for his defensive input and competitive intensity, incidents like this underscore the challenges the Warriors face in maintaining composure and sports discipline. For this duel, Curry scored 24 points and was the leading scorer for the Warriors (10-13) in the emergency room with a terrible record of 4-11 in their last 15 games.

 

https://www.infobae.com/deportes/2023/12/13/draymond-green-volvio-a-golpear-a-un-rival-y-recibio-su-tercera-expulsion-del-ano-en-la-nba-creo-que-necesita-ayuda/