OKLAHOMA CITY — Draymond Green often has been called the glue that keeps the Warriors together.
But Sunday in Game 3, he was one of the reasons the defending NBA champs unraveled in shocking, almost unfathomable fashion.
Again, Green wasn’t the main culprit why the Warriors were humbled lambs before the Thunder who steamrolled their way to an overwhelming 133-105 victory that was downright ruthless in its ferocity, totality and efficiency.
Green, just as the game began getting away from the Warriors for good, was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul for kicking Thunder center Steven Adams in the groin after being fouled on a shot.
“It was an important play, but when you lose by this much, you can’t point to one play as being the difference, obviously,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who at one point succinctly summed up the night. “We got our butts kicked.”
With Cleveland’s Dahntay Jones being suspended one game by the league earlier in the day for striking Raptors center Bismack Biyombo, the problems for Green and the Warriors may only be beginning — and that with trailing by 25 at the half after missing their last 11 shots, being down 37 after three quarters and 41 in the fourth.
With the Thunder grabbing a 2-1 series lead behind 33 points from Kevin Durant and a terrific 30-point, 12-assist, eight-rebound effort from Russell Westbrook, the Warriors could be in serious trouble should Green be suspended for Game 4 here Tuesday.
Here’s a stunner: the Warriors feel all punishment is unwarranted. The Thunder feel the opposite.
“I wasn’t trying to kick him. I was following through on the shot,” Green (1-of-9, six points, four rebounds) said of the play that occurred with 5:57 left in the first half after OKC ran off eight straight points to break away from a 40-40 tie. “My leg went up. I don’t think I’ll be suspended. I don’t know how anyone could possibly say I did that on purpose, regardless of the way it may look.”
Well, one guy who thought it was on purpose was Westbrook. See, Green kneed Adams in the groin near the end of Game 2.
“I haven’t seen [the replay], but honestly, I think it’s intentional,” Westbrook said. “That’s two times in the last two games. I don’t think you can keep kicking somebody in their private areas.”
Adams was somewhat noncommittal.
“I mean it happened before. He’s pretty accurate that guy,” Adams said.
When asked if he felt it were intentional, Adams said: “I was more concerned with other things at the time.”
Should Green be suspended?
“Not my call, mate,” the New Zealand product said.
So figure the league’s operations and punishment crew will be on everyone’s speed dial Monday. Joe Borgia, the league’s senior vice president of replay and referee operations, told NBA TV all flagrant fouls are reviewed “to see if it should be downgraded or to see if it should be upgraded” or more punishment is needed. A decision will be made before Game 4.
“They probably look at those plays very closely. It happened, I think, last game to Steven,” said coach Billy Donovan, whose Thunder walloped the Warriors, 29-13, in fast-break points, 52-38 in rebounding — and of course by 28 points in the final score. “And I’m not here to say whether it was or was not intentional. I don’t know. But obviously it’s happened twice in the last two games.”
Kerr, like Green, thinks it is a waste of time. He thought the flagrant call unjust.
“I would think they’d rescind it. No, honestly,” Kerr said after seeing jaws drop and mouths open — and not because his gang shot 41.3 percent to the Thunder’s 50.0. “Stuff like that happens all the time. There’s contact, people’s arms, legs flailing.
“Westbrook kicks out his feet on every 3[-point attempt] and there is contact, I mean, that’s just part of the game. So I don’t understand how that can be deemed a Flagrant 1. I think it should be rescinded.”
But only after it gets replayed on TV like 100 more times. With OKC up 48-40, Green moved on Adams and drew a foul. The play continued with Green sending his foot into Adams’ groin. The center, playing with a bruised thumb, collapsed in a heap. The refs reviewed the play — as the sellout crowd chanted, “Kick him out!” Out came a Flagrant 1 assessment. Green hit his two free throws. Those were quickly nullified when Adams made his.
And the Warriors nightmare was about to go full force.