Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green had a tough go at it in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals on Sunday.
He put up just six points, four rebounds and three assists while shooting 1-of-9 from the field. This all led to the Warriors being outscored by 43 points when he was on the court.
Though, that ugly stat line was nowhere near the biggest issue for Green in the 28-point blowout loss:
https://vine.co/v/iEPLMF0ITlK
Yes, that’s Green kicking Thunder big man Steven Adams in the junk for the second consecutive game.
Whether we believe this is intentional or not really isn’t the point. Green was given a flagrant foul for his actions, but was allowed to remain in the game. Intent isn’t the issue here. The end result is the issue the NBA will be looking at when determining whether Green will be suspended for Game 4.
In this, ESPN’s Marc Stein is reporting that the league will have a final decision on Green’s status for the all-important Game 4 between these two powerhouses by the close of business on Monday.
ESPN sources say that an official decision from the league office on Draymond Green's status for Game 4 is expected by day's end Monday.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 23, 2016
Considering how important Green is to the Warriors, there are some who think the NBA should look the other way. Though, there’s also another completely justifiable opinion that centers around Green’s entire body of work.
If the Warriors are without Green for Game 4, it will be a major blow for the defending champs. He’s one of the catalysts on both ends of the court.
If he’s forced to sit out with the team down 2-1 in the best-of-seven series, it will place the Warriors behind the proverbial eight-ball in what amounts to as nothing less than a must win.