Draymond Green: Officiating talk after Game 1 was 'embarrassing for the game of basketball'
There was a lot less talk about bad officiating after Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets. And the Warriors’ Draymond Green couldn’t be happier.
After the Warriors’ 115-109 victory over the Rockets, Green discussed all the talk about officiating that happened after the first game. Neither team was happy with how the game was called, and they let the referees know it on the court and after the game. But Game 2 had a much different tone, and Green appreciated it.
“... everyone was aware of all the talk about officiating and about foul calls — come out and play the game. And I think both teams did a great job of that. They weren't complaining about many calls, we weren't complaining about many calls, because it's kind of embarrassing for the game of basketball, how much has been talked about, about fouls and officiating. What about beating your man? What about stopping your man? No one talked anything about schemes the last two days. It's all been about foul calls. I think both teams were locked in on coming out and playing the game to the best of their ability. You have to give credit to both clubs, both teams did that."
Green also talked about the officiating in Game 2, and was very complimentary.
“I think it was a great officiated game. They let us be physical, both teams, and they made the calls they needed to make. [...] It was fun out there tonight. They let us be physical, they let us play the game of basketball, which I enjoyed.”
Green said all that despite being called for a technical foul in with just over a second left in the third quarter. He and Nenê exchanged words after getting tangled up following a James Harden free throw, and referee Ed Malloy gave them both a technical without blinking an eye.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on Wednesday that the NBA had rescinded both technicals on Green and Nenê. That would have been Green’s fourth, just three shy of an automatic one-game suspension.
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