Draymond Green Throws Suns Center to Floor in Latest Ejection

Clear Facts

• Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green threw Phoenix Suns center Khaman Maluach to the floor during Monday night’s game.
• Green grabbed Suns forward Dillon Brooks by the jersey after Brooks attempted to calm the situation and was ejected with two technical fouls.
• The Warriors overcame an early deficit to win the game 116-113.

Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green added another confrontation to his long list of on-court incidents. The four-time All-Star wrapped his arms around Suns rookie center Khaman Maluach and threw him to the floor in the third quarter.

Suns forward Dillon Brooks rushed in to separate the players. Green responded by grabbing Brooks by the jersey and had to be restrained by officials.

“I was just trying to deescalate the whole thing,” Brooks said. “He did a lot there, fell down, and pushed him at the end of it. I was just trying to deescalate it. He was just tweaking all game. So let it be.”

Green received two technical fouls and was ejected for the first time this season. The Warriors trailed by ten points after the incident but rallied for a 116-113 victory.

Warriors guard Brandon Podziemski credited the moment with sharpening the team’s focus.

“We didn’t have that edge to us to start the game,” he said. “Found it a little bit in the second quarter and then they came out in the third quarter pretty well and then that kind of changed the game for us. Everybody locked in a little bit more and came together for Dray. I think it was needed. Maybe he sensed it, maybe he didn’t, but it helped us.”

Suns center Khaman Maluach downplayed the episode.

“I think it’s just a basketball play, he’s just out there playing basketball,” Maluach said. “Nothing against Draymond, he’s just playing basketball out there.”

Green has now accumulated 179 technical fouls and 23 ejections over his career, including three technical fouls in the first eight games this season.

Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.