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The Golden State Warriors blew away the Charlotte Hornets on the road but the victory was marred by an incident involving Draymond Green. Green, who was coming off an early ejection against the Orlando Magic, was seen kicking out at Grant Williams' groin. Whether it was deliberate is a matter of debate.
The play happened during the 8:02 mark in the fourth quarter with the Warriors up 101-80, as Green got the ball from Chris Paul 28 feet from the basket. Grant Williams immediately closed Green down.
With not much area to move, the four-time NBA champion tried to pivot but was left off balance. His right leg came up, kicking out at Williams' groin as he tried to create some space.
Green tried to stay out of trouble, keeping his distance by placing his hand on Williams' chest. The referees called a regular foul on Green and it resulted in a turnover.
Draymond Green points out Grant Williams' attitude on why he got traded by the Dallas Mavericks
Right before the trade deadline, the Charlotte Hornets struck a deal shipping PJ Washington to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Seth Curry and Grant Williams. After encountering Williams for the first time in a Hornets uniform, Draymond Green said he should cut the tough guy persona.
Green said the same attitude that Williams displayed while trying to defend him led to his mid-season trade. He told reporters:
"Talking too much kind of got you out of Dallas like overdoing it and he [at the Hornets is] talking too much now so you might want to slow down. Stop all the tough guy stuff."
Draymond Green provided the Warriors with eight points, eight rebounds, and four assists in 28 minutes of playing time. On the other hand, Grant Williams contributed a dozen points for the Hornets along with eight rebounds and four assists coming off the bench for 25 minutes.
The Golden State Warriors improved to 39-34 to maintain their 10th-best record in the NBA Western Conference, which is good enough for the final play-in spot.
Meanwhile, the Charlotte Hornets are third from bottom in the NBA Eastern Conference at 18-55. They are just above the Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons.
