OAKLAND, Calif. — Draymond Green had been missing in action over two games of the Western Conference Finals for the Warriors. He vowed to return.
Green was pitiful — a minus-73 combined in Games 3 and 4 — after his flagrant foul affair, but he went into Game 5 here Thursday with renewed purpose, plus a lot of support from around the league. He spoke with Kobe Bryant and a lot of friends.
“I had a lot of people who were in my corner reaching out to me, and it was great,” said Green, who mentioned Nate Robinson, Glen Davis, Matt Barnes, and Bryant.
“It was great because, like [Kobe] said, ‘If it’s easy, why bother?’ ” Green said. “Anybody can do it if it’s easy.”
So Green promised to make amends for two no-show games in the Thunder’s blowout home wins. He didn’t recognize himself in those games.
“I see a guy who I don’t know, and I refuse to see that guy again,” said Green before the Warriors stayed alive with a 120-111 victory over the Thunder.
What exactly was missing in his game?
“I’m missing,” Green said.
Not Thursday. Green had 11 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks.
“I thought he played really well. He settled himself down and showed great poise and energy,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He just had that brief two- or three-minute spell where he got a little out of sorts, but he recovered well.”
Oh yeah, that spell. There were reminders Green can be a handful, even for his team. At 11:10 of the third quarter, the first-team All-Defensive choice who was named to the second team All-NBA squad earlier in the day, fouled the Thunder’s Kevin Durant, who was shooting beyond the 3-point arc.
Green was furious, animatedly waving his arms and hands. Ref Ken Mauer was not amused and slapped Green with a technical foul, his fifth of the playoffs. NBA rules call for a one-game suspension for No. 7. Durant made all four free throws, which at the time brought OKC to within three points. Green still disputed the call afterward.
“After that, it was just like, ‘All right, if I’m going to try not to get a tech and I’m still going to get a tech, then I’m just going to be me,’ ” Green said.
Just Draymond being Draymond.
Later in the third quarter, Green made a pretty, strong move to finish a break, drawing a foul from Serge Ibaka in the process. Green posed in a muscle-man stance, but there was no additional action.
“I’m not going to worry about trying to be sensitive to this or that,” Green said. “If I’m going to get a tech for that, I might as well just be me anyway.”