Stephen Curry located Draymond Green on the wing for a three-pointer, pushing the Golden State Warriors ahead 30-20 in the second quarter of Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, prompting a timeout. Before rejoining the huddle, Green noticed Curry struggling to move on the opposite side of the court. Unaware Curry had strained his hamstring moments earlier on a drive, Green went to check on his long-time teammate.
“I`ll be back,” Curry told Green softly as he limped toward the tunnel and locker room. Curry did not return to the game.
With their franchise star icing his hamstring, Green secured a rebound on the following possession and quickly advanced the ball. Moments later, he sank another three-pointer from the top of the key. The familiar “Booooooom!” often yelled by him or teammates after a Green three echoed as the Target Center fell silent. Less than a minute later, Green drained his fourth three, extending the Warriors` lead to 14 points over the Wolves with seven minutes remaining in the second quarter. Despite Curry`s departure, Golden State`s lead swelled to 23 points in the third quarter, culminating in a 99-88 victory and an early series lead.
At a critical juncture where the Warriors could have faltered without their top shooter, Green revitalized the team. Beyond anchoring a defense that limited Anthony Edwards to starting 0-for-10 and held Minnesota to just 88 points – only their second time this season scoring under 90 – Green assisted Jimmy Butler in orchestrating the offense. He contributed 18 points, eight rebounds, and six assists to secure Game 1. Green`s four three-pointers were second on the team only to Buddy Hield`s five.
Green has refocused after his shaky Game 6 performance against the Houston Rockets, which he described as “embarrassing,” and is a key factor in Golden State winning two straight. He must continue performing at this elevated level, especially with Curry expected to be sidelined until at least Game 4 due to a Grade 1 left hamstring strain. This starts with Game 2 on Thursday.
Five nights prior, with the Warriors facing elimination in Game 7 on the road in Houston the next day, the Golden State players convened for a crucial meeting at their suburban hotel. Green revealed that the idea for the season`s most important meeting was decided by Curry, Butler, and himself. Green openly shared his feelings with his teammates, a practice he`s developed in recent years through therapy and counseling. He pledged to lead the Warriors with greater composure and promised to establish the correct tone in Game 7. This resolve carried into Game 1 in Minneapolis.
“He`s our leader,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr stated. “And when he`s performing correctly, as he was [in Game 7], he`s an incredible player to observe. The defense, simply dominating that side of the court, coupled with patience, avoiding turnovers, and positioning himself correctly offensively. I believe the players recognized after Game 6 that we were disorganized and unsettled.”
Just 24 hours before the sixth Game 7 of his career, Green felt the need to find his center. In Game 6, he registered eight points, seven assists, five rebounds, three blocks, but also four turnovers and displayed poor temperament, including a flagrant foul 1 just over three minutes into the 115-107 defeat. So, before engaging in physical battles with Steven Adams and Alperen Sengun in Game 7, Green listened to mellow 1990s R&B artists like Jodeci and H-Town, mixed with contemporary R&B from SZA and Brent Faiyaz.
He also had sincere conversations with his most trusted confidantes: his wife Hazel Renee, his Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, his best friend and former Spartan teammate Travis Walton, and even his barber. Izzo gave his former player some necessary tough love, Green shared.
“I spent those two days feeling embarrassed simply by what I delivered [in Game 6], what I presented to the world,” Green admitted. “I aimed to come out and demonstrate again who I am with poise, yet retaining the same intensity and tenacity.” Green visited a spa and meditated, utilizing techniques learned from hours of therapy, counseling, and check-in Zoom calls with NBA executives following his indefinite suspension last season for putting Rudy Gobert in a chokehold and striking Jusuf Nurkic.
When Kerr eventually joined Saturday`s meeting, he initially intended to outline the keys for Game 7, including emphasizing Green`s need for better leadership. Green noted that Kerr didn`t express anything he hadn`t already conveyed to his teammates moments before. “It was like we were an old married couple repeating the same things,” Green told ESPN with a chuckle. Their partnership has resulted in four championships. Kerr has frequently stated that Green is one of the most competitive individuals he`s encountered and “the best defender I`ve ever witnessed.”
On the morning of Game 7 during the team shootaround, Kerr had a prolonged discussion with Green on the side. Kerr was seen gesturing towards the court multiple times, while Green listened intently, nodding repeatedly in agreement. Green described the conversation as “one of the better conversations we`ve ever had.” Kerr shared stories and reminded Green of his career achievements. He pointed out that “nobody will remember” the final outcome of Game 7 compared to Green`s overall resume, and that he should approach the game with poised enjoyment while providing a model for the rest of the Warriors to follow.
During that meeting, Curry addressed the team about focusing on controllable factors that don`t appear in the box box. What he observed from Green in Game 7 perfectly illustrated how the emotional forward can counter the physicality and intensity expected in a series that will challenge his composure.
“No better lesson than [Game 7],” Curry remarked on Sunday. “Like, make it about basketball. He doesn`t need to be silent or unemotional. We want that kind of [intense and fiery] Draymond, but direct that energy towards us, our huddles. Even when he had that minor interaction with [Fred] VanVleet, he didn`t react excessively, go argue with the refs, or try to plead his case. Things didn`t go his way, and he kept it focused on basketball.”
Green is aware that he will be under scrutiny regarding how he handles Gobert, both physically and mentally. He had one of his most notable offensive plays of the season when he dribbled from half court, going between his legs in isolation at the top of the key before driving past Gobert for a one-handed dunk with 28 seconds left in a 114-106 win on December 8. Green immediately performed Curry`s `night night` celebration.
Green largely maintained his composure against Gobert throughout the regular season, but he faces an automatic one-game suspension if he accumulates two more flagrant foul points or three more technical fouls. Green used a famous line from comedian Charlie Murphy on `Chappelle`s Show` to describe his tendency to push boundaries. “I`ve always walked that line,” Green said after the Game 4 win over Houston. “That`s who I am. Habitual line-stepper.”
When Green received a technical foul after flailing and making contact with VanVleet`s face in Game 7, he was visibly frustrated on the Warriors bench, but Butler, assistant coaches Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse helped calm him. Curry had a prolonged handshake with Green, seemingly to ensure his emotional teammate remained settled.
In a hostile environment where fans chanted “F— you, Draymond!” in the Toyota Center, Green responded with 16 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two blocks, forming the backbone of a defense that limited Houston to 89 points. And he kept the dramatic reactions to a minimum. This was exactly what Kerr required from Green.
On Thursday, Green will play a playoff game without Curry screening and passing to him for the first time since the 2018 Western Conference semifinals, when Curry was sidelined with a knee injury for Game 1 against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Warriors hold a 9-3 record in playoff games without Curry, but those instances involved a younger Green and former Warrior Klay Thompson on a deeper roster. Kevin Durant also participated in six of those games.
Kerr will rely on Green to take on more playmaking responsibilities, a role Houston attempted to disrupt in the first round by frequently having VanVleet guard Green. Green is just the eighth player in NBA history to record 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists in the playoffs, joining an elite list including Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, and Jason Kidd.
Without Curry, Green will likely spend time playing point guard to reduce ball-handling duties for Butler and initiate offensive sets. Kerr mentioned that the coaching staff spent Wednesday strategizing the best way to operate without Curry. “I had four turnovers,” Green commented on the Game 1 box score Tuesday night. “Your margin for error shrinks dramatically without Steph. We`ll see what Coach has planned. I`m not going to come out and think, `Oh man, I need to be Steph.` I can`t do that.”
“But I might need to handle the ball a bit more. I`ll just play my role, respect the game plan Coach gives us; if that means making more plays, I`ll try to do that.”
Following the motivating Game 1 victory, Green continued his leadership efforts to energize his team. Even though Curry was seen leaving the locker room with a limp, Green insisted the Warriors “won`t panic.” His pledge to lead more effectively will be needed now more than ever.
“I have to maintain a similar approach for my teammates,” Green said after Game 7 regarding the importance of playing like he did against Gobert. “Forget anyone else [like Gobert]. But for my guys, I need to stay composed, so I`ll remain locked in. It will be challenging. But finding that balance, that line, and not crossing it is crucial for me and this team, and I gave them my word.”
“I will continue to keep my word to them.”
