The Golden State Warriors returned to winning ways by beating the Phoenix Suns 119-116 at Chase Center on Saturday. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was pleased to get the win, but he was also rather unhappy with the officiating.
Draymond Green was ejected after receiving two technical fouls in the second quarter, and Kerr made it clear in his postgame press conference that he wasn’t a fan of the decision, especially after Dillon Brooks wasn’t tossed on Thursday.
“I thought it was weak,” Kerr said. “I mean, he was yelling at the refs, so he definitely deserved one. But then he’s walking to the bench, and he yells something, and the second technical. I mean, we just saw a guy on their team literally punch Steph [Curry] in the stomach the other night. Premeditated punches him in the stomach, no ejection for that.
“And then two nights later, the refs got upset with some words from Draymond,” Kerr continued. “I totally disagreed, and that’s why I got my tech ’cause I was furious that they booted him out just like that so easily.”
Brooks had hit Stephen Curry in the ribs in the fourth quarter of the Suns’ 99-98 win over the Warriors on Thursday. He received a flagrant 1 for the act, and Kerr can’t believe how he wasn’t ejected, but Green was. The Warriors forward seemed to have gotten his first technical for shoving Suns’ Collin Gillespie and the second for yelling at the officials.
You’d imagine Kerr wouldn’t have been complaining too much about this if not for the previous incident. He was asked later about how upset he was about Brooks’ hit on Curry and went off on the Suns forward.
“How can you not be upset?” Kerr asked. “I mean, this is a guy who broke Gary’s elbow in the playoffs, clotheslining him with one of the dirtiest plays I’ve ever seen. So, it’s not like there’s not a track record there. And it’s right there. They look at it. I don’t know what the point of replay is if you’re not going to kick a guy out for literally punching somebody.
“It’s bizarre to me that he was not, first of all, ejected from that game and then suspended or fined,” Kerr added. “Nothing. So apparently, you are now allowed, this is my take, you are now allowed to premeditate a punch of any shooter who’s left like defenseless. You can now take a swing at him and know you’re just going to get a flagrant one. So I don’t know, maybe we’ll do that, but probably not.”
Kerr was referring to Brooks breaking Gary Payton II’s elbow with a hard foul during Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies in 2022. He was playing for the Grizzlies at the time and was ejected from the game after receiving a flagrant 2.
Brooks was suspended for Game 3 as well and has been a rather unpopular figure in the Bay Area ever since. He has only made matters worse with his actions and comments over the years.
Brooks did play well here, finishing with 22 points (8-11 FG), five rebounds, and three assists, but couldn’t prevent the Suns from falling to 15-13. They face the Los Angeles Lakers next at the Mortgage Matchup Center on Tuesday at 9 PM ET.
The Warriors, meanwhile, have improved to 14-15 and take on the Orlando Magic next at Chase Center on Monday at 10 PM ET.
