Draymond knocks off rust at right time in Warriors' win vs. Rockets

Draymond knocks off rust at right time in Warriors' win vs. Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The return of Draymond Green quickly became all about who he replaced in the Warriors’ starting lineup before a 106-95 win Sunday night against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center. In came Green, pushing Chris Paul to the bench for the first time in his 19-year NBA career.

But it was Green who at first looked like the newest Warrior instead of starting his 13th season in the same jersey.

“I didn't really have my legs under me in the first half,” Green said after the win. “I was tired as hell.”

Steve Kerr said in his pregame press conference that Green, in his first game back after sustaining a sprained right ankle right before training camp, would be on a minutes restriction. The 32-year-old played a little under 21 minutes, and the final 11-plus minutes were much better than his first nine. Through his first nine minutes of the season, Green was playing catch-up and it showed.

Golden State’s do-it-all forward was a minus-13 in the first half while the Warriors led by 10 points. He committed three turnovers and was whistled for three fouls in the first half, one where Green was scoreless and had just one rebound and one assist. His game still was heavily coated by rust, but not for too long.

The player Green was in the second half was the opposite of who first stepped foot on the floor.

Though it shouldn’t ever be a tell-all stat, Green was a plus-15 in the second half, including a plus-13 in the fourth quarter. What Green gave the Warriors when it mattered most didn’t surprise anyone either.

“In the second half, I felt a lot better,” Green said. “It felt like the game started to slow down. I started to feel better. Started to make a couple reads, started to settle into the game. I had some awful turnovers in the first half. I think the second half I felt a lot better.”

Gary Payton II, like Green, is a player whose presence always is felt but his impact isn’t always seen in the stats. Payton missed all five of his shot attempts in the season opener and scored a single point at the free throw line, yet he was a plus-15. His shot was falling Sunday in Houston and Payton this time was a plus-13 with 15 points.

“He had a few turnovers, but OK, who cares?” Payton said. “Like, he’s going to figure it out, he’s going to clean it up and I know he’s going to be great tomorrow.”

Green entered the fourth quarter at the 6:42 mark and with the Warriors down by two, 87-85. Kerr stuck with Green the rest of the way, and for good reason. Over the final six-plus minutes of the game, Green totaled four rebounds and two assists without any turnovers, and he made his only shot attempt.

As Steph Curry caught fire and saved the day behind four straight 3-pointers, Green’s two assists were on two of Curry’s four fourth-quarter threes – the only two that were assisted.

He even got in Dillon Brooks’ way slightly enough as Curry put the Warriors’ former Memphis Grizzlies rival in a Texas torture chamber.

“Rusty in the first half, but typically at his best with the game on the line,” Kerr said. “He had a huge tip-out offensive rebound. I thought that was a really big play in the game. And helped get Steph open on one of those threes. And then he defended.

“We made a bunch of stops in a row down the stretch and Draymond was right in the middle of it all. Didn’t surprise me, because that’s who he is, but it’s gonna take him a little time to shake the rust off.”

On a night when the buzz was surrounding the starting lineup, Green showcased the more important reality of who closes and finding the extra gear when it’s required to win.

“I haven’t played a basketball game in six months,” Green said. “It was good to make a couple plays. Especially since every time I was in the game in the first half we killed the lead. So it felt good to redeem myself a little bit in the fourth quarter.”

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