“Shooting like Steph rn”: Atlanta Hawks superstar turns Draymond Green fan as Warriors take on Wolves

The Golden State Warriors faced a major blow early in the second quarter of Game 1 of their Round 2 clash against the Minnesota Timberwolves when Steph Curry exited with a left hamstring strain. In need of an offensive spark, it was Draymond Green — more known for his defense than scoring — who stepped up.

Green led all scorers at the half with 16 points, adding to the 13 Curry put up before leaving the game. Despite losing their star, the Warriors maintained their momentum, dominating the Timberwolves 26-11 in the second quarter to take a 44-31 lead at the break.

Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young, who shares Klutch Sports representation with Draymond Green, gave the Warriors forward a shoutout online:

“Draymond shooting like Steph right now,” Young wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Green finished with 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting, making four of his 10 attempts from deep. The Warriors won, 99-88.

Green has long been seen as a "playoff riser" as someone whose impact isn’t always visible in the box score but shows up in crucial postseason moments — like his standout 32-point, 15-rebound, 9-assist performance in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals, despite the Warriors’ heartbreaking collapse from a 3-1 lead.

Meanwhile, Young’s postseason ended prematurely, as the Hawks were eliminated in the play-in tournament after back-to-back losses to the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat.

Draymond Green relishes Anthony Edwards showdown

Plenty of narratives are at play in this Warriors–Timberwolves series, from Jimmy Butler facing his former team to the ongoing Draymond Green–Rudy Gobert rivalry, but Green is also locked in on facing Minnesota’s rising star, Anthony Edwards.

"He's (Edwards) obviously going to play a huge role for the Timberwolves, I'm going to play a huge role for us,” Green said on “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis” (per NBC Sports Bay Area).

“But this series ain't about me versus Ant Man or who can out-talk who. This is about high-level basketball. ... Ant had a great playoff series in that Lakers series. I'm looking forward to the matchup."

Edwards continues to break out as a playoff star. After eliminating big names like Kevin Durant and Nikola Jokic last year, he's kept that momentum, sending LeBron James and Luka Doncic’s Lakers packing in this year's first round.

In the opening round, Edwards averaged an impressive 26.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists over five games.