Watch - Dennis Schroder gets ejected after he taunts Draymond Green and gets his second technical
Dennis Schroder, who got the start for Game 6 over Jarred Vanderbilt, has just been ejected after tussling with Draymond Green again. Both have been going at it since the first quarter with Schroder receiving a technical foul for taunting.
With 6:20 left in the third quarter, this happened:
The LA Lakers held a 74-58 advantage when Schroder was called for another technical and automatic ejection. Former head coaches Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy, who were calling the game, called the decision a bad one.
They couldn't understand why the Lakers point guard was assessed with the technical when it was Green who pushed the ball to the German's face.
Both players had been talking trash long before the confrontation that led to a double technical and Dennis Schroder's ejection.
In six games against the dethroned NBA champs, Schroder averaged 10.3 points, 3.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds. He hit 43.8% of his shots, including 35.3% from behind the arc.
More than the numbers, the veteran showed that he was not afraid of the bright lights. He thrived in it and even tried to beat Draymond Green at his own game. Schroder lost in that regard but his impact contributed to the LA Lakers' emphatic dismantling of the Golden State Warriors.
The LA Lakers bucked Dennis Schroder's absence to eliminate the Golden State Warriors
Dennis Schroder had already played 25 minutes and had only scored three points. His main role, however, wasn't to score but to chase Steph Curry around. His speed to keep in step with the reigning NBA Finals MVP was the biggest reason why he got to start over Jarred Vanderbilt.
Schroder was quite effective in just trying to make Curry work for his shots. When the surprise starter was ejected, "Chef Curry" was held to 22 points, partly due to his work on the defensive end.
With Dennis Schroder tossed out of the game, Darvin Ham quickly adjusted and gave the task of guarding Steph Curry to Austin Reaves. The small forward may not have Schroder's speed but he displayed more physicality and grit in fighting through numerous screens.
On the offensive end, Curry was also matched up against Reaves. The bigger and taller player made the Warriors superstar worked hard on that end. He even coaxed Curry into two personal fouls by simply using his physical leverage over the diminutive point guard.
To emphatically close out the Golden State Warriors, the LA Lakers executed their game plan to near perfection. Dennis Schroder, Austin Reaves and Jarred Vanderbilt were key contributors, particularly on the defensive end.
Together, they limited Steph Curry to 32 points on 11-28 shooting, including a dismal 4-14 from deep.
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Michael Macasero