Draymond Green's Night Takes Ugly Turn As Golden State Warriors Star Gets Ejected After Two Heated On-Court Incidents

Draymond Green gets ejected after a heated on-court altercation© Instagram/money23green

Draymond Green's second half lasted about two minutes on Monday night in San Francisco. Early in the third quarter, the Golden State Warriors forward threw Phoenix Suns center Khaman Maluach to the floor. Dillon Brooks rushed over, and the two went at it under the basket. Two technical fouls later, Green was gone. His night ended after only 17 minutes on the court, and he had been knocked down himself moments earlier.

What Happened Between Draymond Green, Khaman Maluach And Dillon Brooks?

It started in the post. Maluach, trying to establish position, bowled over Draymond Green. Green got up fast. As Maluach rose for a layup, Green grabbed him and threw him to the court.

Play stopped. Then Brooks came running in and got in Green's face under the basket. He and Green have gotten into plenty of scuffles over their careers, and this one went the usual way until the two were pulled apart. Green had taken hold of Brooks by the jersey, up near the throat.

The officials gave Green a technical for the throwdown and another for the Brooks exchange. The two came back to back. Brooks got one. Since a second technical means an ejection, only Green had to leave, with about 10 minutes left in the third quarter. Video of the sequence spread quickly online.

Is This Green's First Ejection Of The Season?

First of this season, yes. It is the 23rd ejection of his regular-season career. Last year he got tossed several times, and one of those came in the closing seconds of the April play-in game in Phoenix, so the four-time All-Star has now been sent off against the Suns twice in under seven months. He is 36, in his 15th NBA season, and the Michigan State product still plays right on the edge. Monday was only his sixth appearance of the year.

His stat line was quiet anyway: four points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal in 17 minutes. Through his first five games he averaged three points, 5.2 rebounds and 7.2 assists. A player scoring three a night does not hurt a team much on offense by leaving early. The passing is what Golden State lost.

Brooks is the other half of this. He did not stop to see how Maluach, a young center, would handle a veteran like Green on his own. He went straight in. Phoenix wants that from him, a teammate other teams think twice about crossing. Green walked off with two technicals. Brooks stayed with one.