Draymond Green Got Away With Another Questionable Play

The Warriors forward avoided a flagrant foul when he pulled Patty Mills down by the neck.

The Golden State Warriors notched a much-needed win over the Miami Heat on Tuesday night. Draymond Green had four points, nine rebounds and eight assists in the victory, but again made headlines for a non-basketball play. Early in the game he got tangled up with Patty Mills and appeared to take things a little too far by pulling Mills down by the neck.

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— Bally Sports Sun: HEAT (@BallyHEAT) March 26, 2024

Officials reviewed the play, but only to check if the basket scored on the play would count. Somehow they looked at the replay and decided what Green did was neither unnecessary or excessive contact.

The timing of this is especially crazy. Just two nights earlier Steve Kerr talked about how far Green had come since his suspension. Keep in mind he said this after Green had another brief confrontation with Memphis Grizzlies center Santi Almada.

“I really think his career was on the line at that point. I really do. The way… our discussions with the league, I think, the nature of the suspension, indefinite. It was clear that the league wanted to see real change. And we all did. I’ve said this many times. Yelling at the ref or you know, getting a flagrant foul, that’s just being a competitive NBA player, but when you strike someone, when you grab somebody by the throat that’s different.”

Kerr went on to say how proud he was of Green and that everyone had wondered if the Warriors player could make a significant change in a month, but apparently he has. In Kerr’s words, Green has “figured it out.”

Stephen Douglas is a staff writer at The Big Lead.