The Golden State Warriors' second-round Game 1 fixture against the Memphis Grizzlies saw their ace defender Draymond Green get ejected. The forward was having a great game until the tail end of the second quarter.
Green attempted to stop the Grizzlies' third-year forward Brandon Clarke from making a point-blank shot. However, he ended up hitting him in the face and dragging him down by pulling his jersey.
Green was called for a flagrant foul with 1.18 minutes left on the clock, but upon review, it was upgraded to a flagrant foul 2, which led to his ejection.
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Here's what referee Kane Fitzgerald said about the incident:
“After review, the foul has been updated to a flagrant foul penalty two. Draymond Green has been ejected for the windup to the face, impact to the face, follow through with the jersey and the throw-down to the ground.”
That was it for Green, as he ended his game with six points, four rebounds, three assists and steals each, and a block in 17 minutes of play. His absence on the court placed the Warriors in a difficult situation as they struggled to maintain the lead.
At the end of the game, which the Golden State Warriors won, Green channeled the actions of the banished NFL star Antonio Brown.
The three-time NBA champion waited at the edge of the tunnel to congratulate the team. He shook and hugged every member as they made their way to the locker room.
Despite Draymond Green's second-quarter ejection, the Golden State Warriors defeated the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 1
The Golden State Warriors went on the road in Game 1 of their second-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies. They claimed victory in their first game by a lone point, winning 117-116.
Jordan Poole led the team to victory with a near triple-double of 31 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists, having featured for 37 minutes. Steph Curry posted 24 points, three rebounds, and four assists, while Andrew Wiggins recorded 17 points and eight rebounds.
The game went down to the wire as the Grizzlies missed a shot on the last play to give the Warriors the advantage going into Game 2 on Tuesday.
This is the Golden State Warriors' first time in the playoffs since their 2019 NBA Finals loss to the Toronto Raptors, and they are looking to make good of it.
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