Draymond Green's Flagrant-2 Foul in Warriors' Game 1 Win Won't Be Reduced by NBA
Draymond Green didn't agree with his controversial ejection. The Golden State Warriors didn't agree. Most of NBA Twitter felt the same.
It turns out the NBA thinks they're all wrong.
The league does not plan to reduce Green's flagrant-2 call to a flagrant-1, a league spokesperson told Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Green was ejected after a hard foul on Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke in the second quarter of the Warriors' 117-116 win over Memphis in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinals series.
While Green clearly made contact with Clarke's face and then pulled him to the ground by his jersey, the All-Star forward was animated as he left the floor, claiming his hand got caught in Clarke's jersey. Green attributed the call to his "reputation," and Clarke said it was "not shocking" to be fouled hard by the Warriors star.
"He's been known for flagrant fouls in his career," Clarke told reporters. "I've watched him on TV my whole life, it feels like. I wasn't really shocked. I don't really like to flop or nothing, but he did hit me pretty hard twice when I saw it again. ... It is not shocking that he did that. Something he has done in the past."
In and of itself, the flagrant isn't an issue. The Warriors managed to sneak by with a one-point win without Green and take home-court advantage in the series.
However, history gives Golden State plenty of reason for pause in regard to Green racking up flagrant points in the playoffs. In 2016, Green was suspended for Game 5 of the Finals after recording a fourth flagrant point. The Warriors would lose Game 5 and eventually the series, becoming the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-1 Finals lead.
Green has two flagrant points for the 2022 playoffs, leaving him with one to spare.
