Warriors Win Big, But Kerr–Green Blowup Steals The Spotlight

A blowout win over Orlando came with a loud side story Monday night: Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr and Draymond Green got into a heated sideline argument that ended with Green leaving the bench and never returning to the game.

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The flare-up happened early in the third quarter at Chase Center with Golden State down 71–66. After Green committed a turnover, and continued to chat with an official. Kerr called a timeout and tried to pull his team into the huddle, later saying he felt the group had lost its focus. Instead, the timeout turned tense. Teammates and staff, which included Moses Moody and assistant coach Jerry Stackhouse, stepped in as Kerr and Green exchanged words. Later, Green walked off toward the locker room.

Both sides framed it as a moment that needed a pressure release, not a bigger fracture. Green said, “tempers spilled over, and he chose to remove himself because he didn’t think the situation would improve in the moment.”

Kerr confirmed Green wouldn’t have re-entered even after he returned to the bench in warmups before the fourth quarter.

The Warriors responded on the court. Stephen Curry ignited a third-quarter swing with a perfect shooting stretch, and Golden State turned the five-point deficit into a comfortable lead before cruising to a 120–97 victory. Curry finished with 26 points, and Jimmy Butler added 21 as the Warriors climbed back to .5 at 15–15.

The incident also added to a recent pattern: Green had been ejected in the previous game and, for a second straight night, wasn’t part of the closing minutes. After the final buzzer, the message from the locker room was essentially We’ve been here before.

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Article by Ed Middlecoff