"Reason we lost to Toronto in the Finals": Draymond Green puts spotlight on $128,539,845 guard after brutal Game 6 loss

Draymond Green isn’t the least bit surprised by Fred VanVleet’s red-hot 3-point shooting in the first-round series between the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets. With the Rockets on the verge of elimination after falling behind 3-1, it was their veteran guard who stepped up when it mattered most.

On Friday, VanVleet, who is on a three-year, $128,539,845 contract delivered a clutch performance. He knocked down 6 of 9 shots from beyond the arc and scored 29 points to lead the Rockets to a 115–107 road win and force a decisive Game 7.

When asked about VanVleet’s shooting surge over the past three games, Green was direct in his response. He praised the Rockets guard’s ability and referenced the 2019 NBA Finals, recalling how VanVleet played a pivotal role in the Toronto Raptors’ championship win over the Warriors.

"No, I am not surprised one bit," Green said. "Fred VanVleet is the reason we lost to Toronto in the (2019) Finals."

Fred VanVleet was a key contributor on the Kawhi Leonard–led Raptors team that defeated Draymond Green and the Warriors 4-2 in the 2019 NBA Finals. The undersized guard shot 40.0% from beyond the arc in that series, hitting 16 of his 40 3-point attempts.

Fred VanVleet's 3-point shooting poses huge challenge for Warriors

Fred VanVleet struggled with his shooting throughout the regular season, finishing with a 34.5% clip from beyond the arc, a figure that falls short of his true potential as a perimeter threat. His early postseason performance wasn’t much better as he went just 6 of 29 from 3-point range over the first three games of the series against the Warriors.

However, everything changed in Game 4. VanVleet broke out of his slump in emphatic fashion, hitting 8 of 12 from deep and reigniting Houston’s offense. Since then, the veteran guard has sustained his hot hand, consistently knocking down timely, momentum-shifting threes.

What’s stood out most is his ability to effortlessly convert wide-open looks from the top of the key. Over the past three games, VanVleet has gone an impressive 18 of 27 from long range. The shooting surge has been instrumental in the Rockets' comeback and has positioned them as the favorites heading into a decisive Game 7 at home.