Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green will miss Friday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks after earning his 16th technical foul of the season during the second quarter of Wednesday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers.
After grabbing the ball following a shot by Clippers big man Ivica Zubac, Green appears to throw the ball toward Russell Westbrook’s head, resulting in the technical foul.
“I expect something to change,” Green said, per ESPN’s Kendra Andrews. “If that’s a technical, then every word you say on the court is a technical.”
Green is just the second player in the NBA this season to earn an automatic suspension with his 16th technical foul, joining Memphis Grizzlies rival Dillon Brooks.
The four-time NBA champion grabbed his 15th technical foul of the season on Feb. 13, and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters last week that he was confident Green would avoid earning his 16th tech of the year.
“I’ve never said one word to Draymond, and he’s never gone over the limit,” Kerr said. “He always comes right up to the edge and then he stops. He knows how valuable he is, I don’t have to say anything to him. He knows that he can’t get that next one—we need him.”
Green entered Wednesday’s game averaging 8.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 61 games while shooting 52.5 percent from the floor and 32.4 percent from beyond the arc.
The 33-year-old is Golden State’s best defender and one of the team leaders alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Losing him for even one game is a tough blow for the Warriors, which need any win they can get at this point in the season.
The Dubs entered Wednesday’s game tied with the Clippers for fifth in the Western Conference with a 36-33 record. The game has significant implications in the standings, as will most games moving forward as Golden State aims to avoid a play-in spot.
