Warriors' Draymond Green: Bench Role Was 'Right Thing to Do' for Game 4 vs. Kings

Throughout the Golden State Warriors' dynastic run over the past decade, Draymond Green has been a staple in the starting lineup as one of the cornerstones of the franchise.

So, it was unusual to see the four-time champion come off the bench Sunday in the team's Game 4 win over the Sacramento Kings at the Chase Center. He was replaced in the lineup by Jordan Poole, the organization's budding star.

Green took no offense to it, knowing it was the best thing for his squad as they tied up the series up 2-2, defended home court and are heading back to Sacramento.

"Who f--kin cares? Who cares how I feel," Green said in a postgame interview. "… It doesn't matter how I feel. I think the right thing to do would be to do the same exact thing we did to start Game 3."

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr revealed after the game that it was actually Green's idea to come off the bench after the team's Game 3 win Thursday. He couldn't have been prouder to see the impact that he had and how the four-time All-Star embraced the unfamiliar role.

"You do whatever you have to do," Kerr said. "I thought Draymond had a great second half, really got himself going defensively. He was fantastic."

Green still ended up on the court in crunch time and played a vital role on both ends as Golden State escaped with a 126-125 win. He finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, a steal and a block in 31 minutes.

He also had several crucial defensive stops on Domantas Sabonis that won't show up on the stat sheet.

"I never want to reach that point in my career where I feel entitled to something," Green said after the game.

The Warriors also got a great contribution from Poole, who took advantage of his second start of the postseason, finishing with 22 points and four assists.

Poole first broke into the starting lineup in Game 3 as Green served his one-game suspension for stepping on Sabonis' chest in the previous game, helping the team to its first win of the series.

"I'm a firm believer: If something isn't broke, don't fix it," Green added. "... Just wanted to do what was best for our team. I thought it was good for us."

As of now, it's unclear whether Kerr and the Warriors will stick with the strategy for the rest of the series to help combat Sacramento's electric backcourt.

Game 5 is set for Wednesday night at 10 p.m. ET at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.